Living Record Productions launch digital venue for Brighton Fringe

Living Record Productions launch their first purely-digital venue at the Brighton Fringe (online, May 28-June 27 2021).
Living Record - Ross DruryLiving Record - Ross Drury
Living Record - Ross Drury

Spokeswoman Flavia Fraser-Cannon said: “The debut Living Record Festival in January 2021 was a month-long digital arts festival of over 45 original pieces from a range of art forms by independent companies and freelance artists.

“Spurred on by the catastrophic effect Covid-19 has had on the theatre and live performance industry, The Living Record wanted to build a virtual space for audiences to safely access a range of digital culture, sharing communal online bar spaces, and making recommendations of shows they have enjoyed to one another. After the success of their debut festival, the company have moved closer to their Sussex home and become a purely online and on demand venue at the Brighton Fringe.

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“The current programme is available to book online now and includes Exchange Theatre’s Cat In (re) Boots, Oddbodies with their three-camera adaptation of King Lear, Petrichor in immersive Virtual Reality and the critically acclaimed performance art film Ram Of God by Theodora van der Beek.

“Living Record is set up to enable artists to make the most out of digital participation in the fringe. The platform is dedicated to protect artists from some of the financial risks of presenting their work, so they can focus on what’s important and reclaim the spirit of experimentation within the fringe festival setting.

“Companies receive 100 per cent of the box office, and aside from registration and what is spent to make the work itself, there is zero expenditure (no accommodation, travel or running costs), meanwhile events are available for purchase for every minute of the festival – day and night – for an unlimited capacity of audiences.

“These factors ensure you can experiment with ideas, build audiences, get reviews, fundraise for a digital tour and become part of the Brighton Fringe conversation without risking six months of your rent or mortgage to do it. Applications to take part are still open and can be made here: https://www.livingrecord.co.uk/the-living-record---brighton-fringe-21-“

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Artistic director Ross Drury said, “Coming to the Brighton Fringe takes on quite a few meanings for me personally, having grown up, lived and directed my first professional shows at the fringe.

“I love this place and have enjoyed watching the Fringe take on a life of its own over the years.

“The idea of being one of the three new digital venues is in and of itself reflective of the innovative culture I’ve come to attribute with this festival and one that allows us at the Living Record to create a varied programme with both a local and global view. I'm so very proud to host artists from Brighton with rich stories behind them, and delighted we are connecting this with artists around the globe too. I've no doubt this digital collaboration will breed a rich experience for our audiences and we look forward opening our doors very soon. Our last visit to Brighton Fringe as company was as Excellence Award winners with Jodi Gray’s Thrown cut in Binaural Sound using wireless headphones. This was the very start of our digital journey and one that led us to becoming a platform and home for digital art, so in more ways than one this is festival is our full digital circle and after all the challenges we've faced in the last 12 months, it’s good to be home.”

Listings information: 28 May – 27 June 2021: https://thelivingrecord.com/events/brighton-fringe-2021/feed: All shows are available on demand. Tickets £6 - 9:.

Initial Programme:

Alright, Girl? by Maria Ferguson

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A soundscaped binaural recording of Maria Ferguson's debut poetry collection, Alright, Girl? published by Burning Eye books. Extremely personal, yet highly relatable, Alright, Girl? is a frank exploration of class, gender and belonging. Through this performance of her acclaimed poetry Maria reflects on her working class heritage, her journey into womanhood and the choices she must now face in an age of austerity and gentrification. Full of heart and humour these poems chart the familiarity of East End pubs, the pangs of loss, the mercy of love and the inescapable bonds of friendship. Listen with headphones for the full binaural experience. =

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £8.00 | 55mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/alright-girl-bf2021/feed

Always on my Mind by Shipwreck Productions

In the midst of a global pandemic, Stacey has reluctantly agreed to chat with her ex, Curtis, after six months apart. As with any messy breakup there's a lot to say, not all of it good. What do you say to someone who has hurt you in the past? How do you behaviour around them and express to them how you truly feel? Luckily for us, they won't be alone. Join us on a story of romance, reconciliation and the inner monologue as we explore the ins and outs of a relationship lost and the internal struggle of where to go next. Adapted from the 2016 play of the same name, Always on my Mind explores the said and unsaid moments of an old romance reconciling with the new hurdle of a national lockdown and the complications and anxieties caused by it.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £6.00 | 35 mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/always-on-my-mind/feed

AM I A TERRIBLE PERSON by Ant Lightfoot

TW: Intrusive thoughts, mental health, suicide

AM I A TERRIBLE PERSON is an autobiographical look into the mind of someone living with OCD and depression; tackling stigma on mental health, neurodiversity, and the LGBTQIA+ community. It's endearing, funny, but never shy. I am currently using the impact from the pandemic to re-imagine AIATP, my first full-length solo show, for online video with this short film acting as the Pilot. I want audiences to feel empowered to talk openly about their own mental health; experience openness, vulnerability, honesty, and discomfort while also feeling safe & protected.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £8.00 | 40 mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/am-i-a-terrible-person/feed

AURIC (Songs from a Golden Age) by Paula Rodriguez

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AURIC (Songs From A Golden Age) is a Gig Theatre Show based on poetry from the Spanish Golden Age period, translated and adapted to English by Paula Rodriguez. An experience that merges spoken-word and experimental music composed by Arthur Astier. Spanish Golden Age authors such as Miguel de Cervantes, Calderón de la Barca, and Lope de Vega created universal masterpieces that still resonate strongly in our present times. These authors were the rock stars of their time, the free spirits who portrayed an eternal landscape of mankind’s lights and shadows. In AURIC, experimental music (inspired by blues, indie-rock, flamenco or trance) brings us this classical legacy reinvented. A truly magical and evocative journey reflecting on poignant matters such as freedom, identity and power.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £8.00 | 45mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/auric-songs-from-a-golden-age-/feed

Breaking Up With Reality by Nod At The Fox

Nod At The Fox combines spoken word, recorded soundscapes and music to create an audio love letter to Reality. It’s hard having to only greet Reality with an elbow bop, but if we get any closer it will break our hearts all over again.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £6.00 | 35mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/breaking-up-with-reality-1/feed

Broken Link by Harpy Productions

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First OnComm Nominee of 2021! Four friends from a small town meet every year to remember their closest friend Ellie, who committed suicide four years ago. It is now 2020. They have to meet on zoom. tonight Ellie joins the call Created and Written by Noga Flaishon and Directed by Kitty Ball, BROKEN LINK was created especially for the virtual medium, utilizing the genre to its fullest, bringing the audience an engaging and immersive theatre experience- bringing the show to your screens, and to your phones! It is a bone-chilling and touching story of betrayal, hope and who we are when adolescence is over.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £8.00 | 53mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/broken-link/feed

Chosen Family by Ibizo Lami

Celebrating unconditional love and kinship. Chosen Family is set in a doctor’s waiting room, and delves into the memories of the narrator to identify the individuals who have helped her in her mental health recovery journey. It is a raw and heart-warming lesson in learning to trust others.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £6.00 | 33mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/chosen-family/feed

Cronivision by Bait

The world as we know it is no more. We are in the unknown... In this new reality, we all need some guidance. 'Cronivision', created by 'bonkers and touching' international trouble makers Bait Theatre, emerged as a reaction against lockdown and the growing absurdity of the world we live in. It is an experiment in theatre, poetry and live performance. A joyful, playful, strange and dark performance experience in the form of an interactive quest game on Zoom. It's what would happen if David Lynch directed 1990s TV game show 'Knightmare' where two 'Monty Python'-esque crones take the audience down a virtual rabbit hole into a liminal dreamspace where meaning can be found in nonsense. Performed live from London and Berlin this show is an avant-garde tea party at the end of the world - hosted by the anarchic Nan that lives inside us all.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £9.00 | 65 mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/cronivision/feed

DOODY by Aaron & Caitlin

A darkly comic monologue in the form of a livestream, Doody is about Niall, a man rapidly approaching his 30’s who still holds a grudge that he wasn’t cast as Danny Zuko in his school’s production of Grease. We join him on a night ten years in the making, when he is finally ready to enter the leather trousers and play the part he was born to do. A twisted look at toxic masculinity, privilege and truly terrible mummy issues, we tune into the character broadcasting to a captive audience, where they can laugh, cringe and stare in disbelief at his every move. Developed with NSDF X Spotlight, written and directed by Evening Standard Nominee Caitlin Magnall-Kearns and performed by actor & clown Aaron Hickland.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £6.00 | 30 mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/doody/feed

Echo / Chamber by Aslant Theatre Company

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Echo / Chamber is an audio-visual, interactive digital experience, which explores the spaces in between the binaries. Inspired by the stories of the past, this is an adaptation of The Bacchae for the digital age that provokes action. In an increasingly polarized world, we seek to find meaning and nuance in more than 240 characters. Aslant Theatre Company is a female-led collective producing entertaining new work and imaginative adaptations of the classics. We provide a platform for ‘re-telling and re-membering’ the stories of the past using an eclectic range of practices.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £7.00 | 45 mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/echo-chamber/feed

Finney's Ghost by David Fox

Finneys Ghost is a a ghost story and maybe a love story told through the photographs left by a dead boy. Finney leaves all his worldly goods, a suitcase of photos, to a girl he barely knew. On the case is written, 'TO BE OPENED ON MY DEATH. The contents of this case belong to Pearl Black, upon opening, there will be silence in heaven about the space of half an hour, Signed William Gabriel Finney.' She knows nothing of his death and almost nothing of his life, but what she finds inside the case shocks and enthralls her. It may even change her life.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £8.00 | 40 mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/finneys-ghost/feed

Heads or Tails by Skye Hallam

“After life, things needn’t be so bad.” Heads or Tails is an uplifting piece of existential pop culture comedy. It tells the story of a young actress taken too soon, who is given the opportunity of a lifetime, to return to earth to perform a one woman show. Steph uses her time to help those still living to learn from the regrets of the dead and to reminisce on her life lost.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £8.00 | 40 mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/heads-or-tails/feed

Insomniac by Blue Glass Theatre

She can't sleep, she knows all the tips, ticks and she's read the pamphlets...She's still awake, because 3am really is the best time to work through all your issues. Insomniac is the work in progress one person show presented by Blue Glass Theatre, written and performed by Alexis Coward.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £6 | 40 mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/insomniac/feed

JUDAS by That One Guy Productions

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Straight from a successful run at Orlando Fringe, JUDAS is coming! Hear this all-new testament about his savior and (spoiler alert!) lover in a sinful, spirited, and sassy romp that reveals the truth, revs up the sex appeal, and makes the Good Book even better. There will be mystery, there will be murder, there will be loooooove-- but most importantly, one of you will betray him! Just kidding, but this is definitely NOT your mother's Bible story!

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £8.00 | 55mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/judas/feed

Kathleen and Me by Stepaside

Kathleen and Me At the age of ninety-one, Kathleen Behan was persuaded to record her memories onto tape by her son Brian. That same year she recorded the ballads and rebel songs she’d been singing all her life. The memories became a book, the songs an LP. Kathleen lived through The Easter Rising, the War of Independence and the Civil war. She took an active role in the fight for an Irish Republic, surviving near starvation and grinding poverty and holding her family together through thick and thin. Her ‘golden boy’ Brendan, became famous worldwide for his plays and books only to die tragically young. But, as Kathleen says, “You may as well sing grief as cry it ... ” Combining source material with her own memories of her grand-mother, Janet Behan with Jessica Higgs have created “Kathleen and Me” — a memoir of this indomitable woman. Support using public funding by Arts Council England

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £9.00 | 60 Mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/kathleen-and-me/feed

KING LEAR by Oddbodies

Armed with only a drum, guitar, knife and chair, this inventive, irreverent and highly accessible one-man adaptation of KING LEAR is presented from the point of view of his long suffering and ever-loyal fool. The bastard Edmund, haughty Goneril, poor deluded Gloucester, oily Oswald, sweet Cordelia, mad Tom – all the characters from this sad and sorry tale brought to glorious life before your very eyes. Adapted & performed by Paul Morel and directed by John Mowat with all of Oddbodies’ trademark physical ingenuity and visual flair - a funny, fast-paced and ultimately heartbreaking production.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £9.00 | 2 Hours

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/king-lear/feed

Les Coffrets by Blank Productions

An award-winning collection of micro filmpoems – all less than 90 seconds duration – presented for the first time collectively in an extraordinary digital e-gallery. These enigmatic works arose from a collaboration between writer/theatremaker Mark C. Hewitt and digital artist Matt Parsons. Each piece is voiced by a different actor. Typically, they have a ‘retro noir’ quality and are highly surrealistic in their form and construction. They were originally conceived as visual counterparts to a poem sequence and take their overarching title - Les Coffrets - from the shape of the texts on the page: small boxes of 13 and a half lines surrounded by a lot of white. This Living Record e-gallery includes a one-off exclusive podcast in which the key artists discuss the ideas and processes involved in creating the works with additional input from actors who participated in the project.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £6.00 | 25 mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/les-coffrets/feed

Nevergreen by the wonderful

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'I will tell you what I saw, tell you everything.' Rachel Carson: scientist, writer, ecologist. In her short life, Carson did more than almost anyone to create environmentalism as we now know it. As we face a fifth mass extinction, Carson's voice rings out with even greater clarity. the wonderful make their début with Nevergreen, a digital iteration of their ongoing Carson project. Shot during the UK Lockdown in December 2020, it takes place between Hampstead Heath, an artist's studio, and Carson's bedroom. Nevergreen explores Carson's relationship with nature, driven by wonder and curiosity, and asks us: in what kind of world would we like to live?

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £8.00 | 50 mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/nevergreen/feed

Petrichor by ThickSkin

A MATCHBOX production Created by Jonnie Riordan, Jess Williams & Ben Walden Immersive Theatre in Virtual Reality. Welcome to Petrichor. Thousands applied and you have been selected. This is a new beginning, a clean slate, a second chance. You are an important part of this machine, And that’s all you need to think about. Step into a new world. Petrichor is a dystopian reality, where every moment is muted, managed and monochrome. Nothing bad ever happens. Nothing good does either. Excitement and happiness have been traded for a world without pain and suffering. A chance meeting brings two unlikely individuals together and offers a small glimpse of what life could be. Their newfound connection sends ripples through this ordered world. Could there by more than this?

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £8.00 | 35 mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/petrichor/feed

Ram of God, the film by Theodora van der Beek

In the heart of the British countryside, prophet and visionary Ram of God leads his flock in a life of simple devotion. Followers are encouraged to live by the principles of Ram: joy in the everyday, the chasing of pleasure, release of pride and obedience. The apocalypse, scheduled in the year 2028, lurks in the distance. With influences from seventies horror to cult documentaries, music videos and cereal adverts, Ram of God is a playful takedown of masculinity and its shadowy cheerleaders that joyfully tackles the new possibilities and limitations of presenting theatre on screen. “

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £8.00 | 40 Mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/ram-of-god/feed

RECKŌNING “Te Waiata Paihere Wairua -The Sounds of Woven Souls”

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A cross cultural, multi artform performance work which fuses Indigenous cultures from Aotearoa, New Zealand and Te Whēnua Moemoeā (Land of the Dreamtime) Australia. Six diverse artists, Samuel Gaskin, Candice Lorrae, Kristel Kickett, Piri Neho, Paula Barbee & Mahana Maihi-Taniora will combine personal stories of their ancestors with original songwriting which explores the power of connecting to their indigenous bloodlines. Reckoning began as an exploration into what may happen if we merged Indigenous language and culture from Aus & NZ with sound healing and a pop music producer. It quickly turned into something much more powerful. Winner of 4 Melbourne Fringe Awards Reckoning is about reclaiming our power. Reconnecting with and rediscovering our Ancestry. Rediscovery of our indigenous blood lines. Reclamation of the parts of ourselves we’ve forgotten and been made to forget.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £9.00

The 3P Club Movie by The 3P Club

Get ready to ride your mighty stallions to Hollywood in 3... 2... 1... Action! Out of the smouldering wreck of 2020 steps The 3P Club, a group of Film-makers are united by the mission to create ground breaking works of cinematic magnificence of three minutes or less with whatever they can get their hands on in the midst of a global pandemic. The 3P Club Movie is a collage of work from The 3P Club. Members are challenged to make a three minute film for presentation at the bi-weekly screening event. It is a place to explore, experiment, develop new skills and share new work. Each member brings their unique style and voice to create The 3P Club Movie, including storytelling, music, comedy, animation, visual art and much more.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £8.00 | 40 Mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/the-3p-club-movie/feed

THE CAT IN (re)BOOTS by Exchange Theatre

An anti-bias family show! With Kindness, Fraternity and Diversity, our anti-racist version reclaims 'Puss in Boots' for what he really is: all he does is out of generosity and justice. Seen as a cunning joker and a thief, Puss in Boots is one of the most beloved heroes for the children as the adults! He makes his master's fortune by playing tricks on everyone, but are they tricks or justice? One of the best models of social mobility: our cat breaks down all barriers.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £8.00 | 45 Mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/the-cat-in-re-boots/feed

The Final Approach by Thom Jordan

Sam Marlowe is the campus outsider who takes on a case to expose a cheating partner but finds himself in a web of deceit, corruption and the incorrect disposal of kitchen waste. Obsessed by detective stories and film noir, Sam spends his time trying to avoid being caught up in the next mystery, the next case, yet no matter how hard he tries he can never keep his nose clean. Struggling with the recent separation of his parents Sam creates an internal narration -in the stylings of Raymond Chandler- to cope. As sleep deprivation sets in Sam struggles to hold onto reality, so when his long term crush drops a case into his lap he can’t help but start digging. But what Sam unearths goes deeper than the initial mystery of school yard gossip. One supposed cheating partner leads to a seismic cheating scandal spread across campus.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £9.00 | 60 Mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/the-final-approach/feed

The Tragedy of Dorian Gray ONLINE by Blue Devil Productions

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It’s 1965, the world has changed & London is swinging. In a studio in Chelsea, a young man is about to have his portrait painted. From there, Dorian’s story of fame, vanity, lust & corruption takes us on a twisted odyssey through heartbreak, betrayal & a touch of bloody murder. After their sold out shows at Brighton Fringe 2019, Blue Devil presents this visually striking, online version of their compelling & darkly humorous reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s classic tale.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £8.00 | 2hrs

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/the-tragedy-of-dorian-gray-online/feed

Un(mother) by Growing Poetry

Un(mother) is a creative exploration of childlessness in the 21st century created by a chorus of 25 poets and writers from across the UK (and beyond!). This thought provoking piece of digital art film, featuring poetry, monologue and spoken word, is the culmination of an online community project seeking to amplify the voices of women of all ages without children - whether they are childless by choice, by circumstance or not by choice at all. Un(mother) has been created by Growing Poetry. 100% of profits from ticket sales will go to charity.

28 May 2021 - 27 Jun 2021 | £6.00 | 35 Mins

https://thelivingrecord.com/events/un-mother-/feed