Edinburgh Fringe 2013

As we announced earlier in the year, we’re not making any new shows for the time being and we’re not touring any of our existing ones. We’re ‘on a break’ - for want of a better term - working out what the future is going to be for the company.

As such, we’re not going to be in Edinburgh for the festival this summer. Well, not all doing the same thing at least. Jethro and Jamie are working on The Bunker Trilogy, Alex and Dom are making work with The Flanagan Collective.

Here’s what we’re up to in our different guises. We’ll be blogging and posting via Facebook and Twitter about these projects and about other projects we think you might like to hear of.

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Jethro Compton presents

THE BUNKER TRILOGY: MORGANA, AGAMEMNON & MACBETH

An entirely immersive experience. Three classic legends reimagined in the heart of World War One.

MORGANA, the Arthurian Legend. In the trenches, three young soldiers in search of distraction and delight find more than they bargained for in the beautiful and mysterious Morgana Le ​Fay.

​​AGAMEMNON, the Ancient Greek Legend. The trenches, 1918. Journey into the delusions of a soldier, devastated by war, convinced of a plot to bring him down.

MACBETH, the Shakespearean Legend, thrusts you deep into the heart of the First World War as the King, tormented by witches, hallucinations and apparitions, prepares for battle.

Belt Up Theatre's Producer and co-Artistic Director, Jethro Compton, is going to be directing and designing the three shows and working with Jonny Sims who will be composing the original scores for each of them. Jonny composed the score for A Little Princess both on stage and for radio.

Fellow Artistic Director, Jamie Wilkes, is writing the scripts for Morgana and Agamemnon. Jamie is the acclaimed author of a number of Edinburgh hits including Belt Up Theatre’s Women of Troy in 2008,  Metamorphosis and Atrium in 2010 and the runaway success, The Tartuffe, which had two incredible sold out years at the Fringe in 2008 and 2009.

All three shows are going to be performed every day in Edinburgh for the entire run of the Fringe (31st July - 26th August 2013) at C nova on Victoria Street. The Bunker will also be hosting a number of bespoke and one-off events from friends of the company. 

Visit the website for more information: www.TheBunkerTrilogy.com and follow @JethroCompton for updates. #TheBunkerTrilogy #EnterTheTrenches

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Alexander Wright presents two shows, and some romping stomping knees-ups, with the rolling strolling rag tag bunch, The Flanagan Collective.

Beulah took the fringe by storm in 2012. Total Theatre Award nominated - and with 5* reviews from The Scotsman, ThreeWeeks, AYoungerTheatre, Public Reviews and Broadway Baby - Lyn Gardner called this two hander folk musical 'Charm itself.' Directed by Tom Bellerby and with soaring music from Jim Harbourne (Tortoise In A Nutshell) and Ed Wren (The River People), Beulah returns to the Fringe for a exclusive run between the 14th - 26th August, 13:40 @ C Main.

Beulah is written by Alexander Wright who's play The Boy James has toured with Belt Up Theatre since 2010, with sell out and critically acclaimed runs in Edinburgh, London, Adelaide and Kansas City.

Belt Up Theatre's Dominic Allen is making a new solo show with The Flanagan Collective too. The Bridge That Tom Built looks at the remarkable life of Tom Paine - the man responsible for the American Revolution and the French Revolution, before he built a bridge in a field in Paddington and died penniless and alone. Directed by Belt Up's associate artist Joe Hufton, Joe & Dom team up after the brilliant success of Outland.

As a writer Dom has penned some memorable original shows for Belt Up, including Outland and Lorca is Dead: or a brief history of surrealism. As a performer Dom has graced the Belt Up 'stages' with his Orgon in Tartuffe, Macbeth in Macbeth and probably hundreds of roles in The Drawing Room Trilogy (Outland, The Boy James, A Little Princess). The Bridge That Tom Built plays 14th - 26th August, 19:10 @ C Nova.

The Flanagan Collective will also be curating some one off parties here and there - expect to be dancing on the tables, glasses raised in hand and arms round the shoulder's of strangers. To keep up, set your eyes on @FlanCol / #LittleFest.

For more information head to www.theflanagancollective.co.uk

The Future of Belt Up Theatre

Belt Up Theatre has always been about three things, the shows, the audience and the people.  We have loved creating the shows; we’ve loved performing to the audience and loved working with the people we’ve had the chance to work with. The audiences have been incredibly loyal and supportive – without this support we would not have been able to do what we’ve done. For that, we can only say thank you.

Running a theatre company comes with many challenges. Financial ones. Artistic ones. Personal ones. It’s been an absolute delight and occasionally an absolute nightmare. It has given us the chance to create the shows we want to make, to meet wonderful people and, more recently, to see some incredible parts of the world.

In late 2012 we met to discuss the future of the company, something that has been uncertain for some time. We’ve never planned ahead – we’ve always focused on the work we are making and the work we want to do next. What we’ve decided is that there is still a lot more that we want to do but we aren’t certain when we’ll do these things. Essentially we have decided that there will be a future for Belt Up but it will be exactly that, a future. For the time being we’re going to be very quiet. There are no on-going shows and no shows in the pipeline. You won’t see Belt Up in Edinburgh, York, London or anywhere around the world in the near future. But we will return when the time is right.

So many people have worked with us through the highs and lows of the last five years. We won’t try and list them here but they know who they are and we hope they know how grateful we are for their help in making Belt Up what it has become. Thank you all.

We’re obviously still going to be around as individuals, making our shows and developing our own projects. We’ll keep you up to date on Twitter and Facebook of what we’re all up to. Here’s how to follow us as individuals:

Dominic Allen

Twitter: @domjallen

Email: dominic@beltuptheatre.com

Jethro Compton

Twitter: @JethroCompton

Email: jethro@jethrocomptonltd.co.uk

Jamie Wilkes

Twitter: @JamesWilkes

Email: james@beltuptheatre.com

Alex Wright

Twitter: @AlexanderGerald

Email: alexander@theflanagancollective.co.uk

Also, here’s Joe Hufton (@JoeHufton) our Associate Artist and Serena Manteghi (@SerenaManteghi) who’s our longest serving ensemble member. Do look out for them as they’ll have plenty of great projects over the next few months that will be well worth watching.

We are, as ever and always, so very grateful for the times we have had and the work we have made. Our genuine thanks to all who have made the last five years quite so special. We looking forward to keeping in touch and seeing where the future leads.

Much Love,

Dom, Jethro, Jamie & Alex