Rajinderpal Singh Rakhra: Set design - First Meeting

Rifco have given me a unique opportunity through the Rifco Associate Scheme to observe, learn and apply the fundamental design process within theatre set design, at its primitive stage, while approaching the vernacular.

The first initial meetings with Pravesh Kumar and Sarah Crompton gave me an insightful overview of the program, were we collaboratively discuss and establish the vision for a new piece of work. The possibility to apply transferable skills and establish and learn new processes within the discipline is very existing.

The subsequent initial meetings with Pravesh, Sarah, Rebecca Brower and Jack Weir, the production and creative team of Rifco Studio production Pyar Actually have given me an astute perspective of an inventive process. In particular, while in meetings with Pravesh, Jack and Rebecca have allowed me to unravel their unique creative development process, while mentored by established practitioners.

The entire team have been very welcoming and helpful from the outset. Delighted to be selected as part of the Rifco Associate Scheme. The juxtaposition leaves me very excited about the possibilities of the unknown and the new.

Sarah Sayeed: Jasmit and the Jukebox - First Meeting

The Rifco Associate scheme offers me an unrivalled opportunity to develop as a new writer, and to learn from specialists across the industry. 

At interview, Pravesh Kumar, Madani Younis and Brigid Larmour presented a very warm and inviting picture of the Rifco Associate scheme, and I am highly pleased to be selected for 2017/2018. I am excited about the possibilities of mentorship, potential collaborations and lastly, the chance to talk and develop skills which need to be developed and honed in specific ways. I hope this year will allow some much needed time and space to consider aspects of my artistic practise, work and application in order that I can firmly establish new ideas for theatre and music.

I am beginning what I hope will be a long and fruitful journey.

Daya Kaur Bharj: The Black Sheep - First Meeting

I attended a two day comedy writing workshop last year with Rifco and found the suggestions and talks with the industry professionals to be greatly enriching. It massively boosted my confidence as a writer and was one of the key factors which swayed me to decide to pursue a serious career in writing. In addition, I felt encouragement from being surrounded by other young writers with similar backgrounds, skills and dreams. I am thrilled to have the chance to work with Rifco again, as I feel it is so crucial to support young people from a minority background who may feel apprehensive about being overlooked in the industry. 

In my first meeting with Pravesh and Sarah, we discussed how to develop my idea and what support I feel would be beneficial for me. They suggested that watching some spoken word performances in central London would be useful research for establishing my piece. I was asked what I wanted to get out of the process and what were my ambitions as a writer. They explained the deadlines and meeting dates and they made plans to arrange for an established spoken word artist to mentor me and have one to one sessions, which I feel will be a very useful in writing my spoken word piece and kickstarting my career. I’m looking forward to the next meeting where I can meet the other associates and begin expanding beyond my first draft.  

I’m confident that with Rifco’s guidance, I will be able to produce a piece that I can be proud of. 

Sukh Ojla - Pyar Actually - Tour

Rifco announces new comedy Pyar Actually (Love Actually), written by Rifco Associate Sukh Ojla.

The small-scale production presented by Rifco Studio and Sukh Ojla in association with Watford Palace Theatre opens at The Woodville (Gravesend) on 29th September 2017 before touring to The Curve (Slough), Warwick Arts Centre, Watford Palace Theatre and Theatre Royal Stratford East.

Set in Gravesend, the play follows thirty-something Polly whose picture perfect life is interrupted when her first love Bali gets in touch 20 years later. Sukh developed the play, which explores themes of duty, love and missed opportunities, through a series of community workshops, readings and peer-to-peer mentorship as part of the Rifco Associates programme.

Sukh Ojla is a writer, actress and stand up comedian. Pyar Actually is her first full-length play. She won Monologue Slam with her self-penned monologue Settling, has written and performed stand up comedy for the Alchemy Festival, won the Make The Cut competition at the St James Theatre and recently performed at BBC Asian Network’s Big Comedy Night at Watford Palace Theatre.  

Rifco Associates is a two-year rolling programme for artists and creatives both early in their career and mid-career, supporting them to create a new piece of work or develop a new concept. This structured programme is about opening up access to a wider range of people working in theatre and celebrating the voices of British Asian contemporary artists both on the stage and behind the scenes. Find out more about the Rifco Associates here.

Rifco Studio is Rifco theatre on a smaller scale. Offering the opportunity for new writing and developing artists to present work at intimate venues across the UK. The productions are shorter, with fewer cast members and minimal stage setting, but with the same quality, vibrancy and contemporary British Asian storytelling that audiences have come to expect from Rifco. With Rifco’s yearly mainstage productions and the newly introduced Rifco Studio productions, the company will offer audiences with a year-round programme of diverse work.

For more info: rifcoarts.com/shows/pyar-actually

Tour Dates:

Fri 29 Sept – Sun 1 Oct    The Woodville, Gravesend

08442 439 480

woodville.co.uk

Thur 5 Oct – Sat 7 Oct    The Curve, Slough

thecurveslough.com

Mon 13 Nov – Tue 14 Nov    Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

024 7652 4524

warwickartscentre.co.uk

Wed 15 Nov – Fri 17 Nov   Watford Palace Theatre  

01923 225 671

watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk

Sat 18 Nov 2017  Theatre Royal Stratford East, London

0208 534 0310

stratfordeast.com

Ameet Chana - Miss Meena & the Masala Queens - Observing the process

Miss Meena & the Masala Queens is a new play about British Asian drag queens.

For this production I had the opportunity to observe the pre-production process in more detail. This involved attending script sessions with Director Pravesh Kumar, writer Harvey Virdi and Dramaturge Brendan Murray as well as observing design meetings.

Ameet Chana: Pyar Actually (Rehearsed Reading) - Director

Building on my Rifco Associate experience I was asked to direct a public rehearsed reading at Watford Palace Theatre of a new play by another Rifco Associate - Pyar Actually by Sukh Ojla. 

This involved casting sessions and three days of rehearsals with the writer and three cast members - Buckso Dhillon Woolley, Stephen Henry and Rekha John-Cheriyan, followed by three public performances. 

Photo credit: Nazish Bana

Sukh Ojla: Pyar Actually - Rehearsed Reading

After a week of rehearsals with three actors, a series of rehearsed readings of Pyar Actually were held at Watford Palace Theatre on 24th and 25th February.

These readings were open to the public and audience members were encouraged to leave their feedback.

The readings were directed by Rifco Associate Ameet Chana and starred Buckso Dhillon Woolley, Stephen Henry and Rekha John-Cheriyan.

Photo credit: Nazish Bana

Ameet Chana: Laila The Musical - Assistant Director

I was given the opportunity to have an in depth look at the full creative planning cycle for a mid-scale touring production - Laila The Musical and had an active role in bringing the work to the stage. 

This involved attending and participating in script meetings, design meetings, readings, castings and rehearsals for the production.

During rehearsals and tech run I provided assisted the Director Pravesh Kumar, scheduling rehearsal call and note sessions, conducting line runs with cast and working closely with Stage Management.

Photo credit: Richard Lakos

Jessica Lucia Andrade: Brownie Club - The performance

I applied to Arts Council for two weeks R&D for a director and myself to work on my ideas for Brownie Club. And I got it! 

So for the last two weeks I have been playing with lots of ideas and story lines. We worked through a physical time line and an emotional time line of ideas and feelings of what being brown is like? Also asking questions about identity, what makes me Indian? Where do I fit in society as a British Asian and  more specifically a British Goan. 

We worked on ideas on and around the silk, working with it technically and working with it as a piece of fabric, and storytelling devise. Vicki Amedume (my circus mentor) came in and helped with the movement pieces on the silk, the tone, timing and flow. Allie Ho Chee (another aerialist) came in to help choreograph and so I could see what it was like up in the air. 

We worked on my relationship to the silk and physical movement has always been my escapism. We recorded me speaking about gymnastics, dance, school and growing up in Essex. I wrote a list of questions I get asked all the time and worked with Composer Jon Whitten to make it into a song. We like it so much we showed it at the scratch. We came up with so much material that we will develop for the full length show.

For the scratch performance we showed a silk sequence of joy, juxtaposed with a voice over of me talking about being bullied in dance class. Then Jon played some joyous music while I danced on the silk. 

The next section I was rhetorically asking the audience "Am I a shit Indian?" and using examples pros and cons. 

The third section was the song of questions I get asked all the time, which was done in a cheesy musical style as some of the questions were quite offensive we wanted  to create a lighter atmosphere and show how ridiculous the questions were. 

The fourth section was - The Brownie Club guide to surviving drama school, which was performed on the silk and used 10 examples I experienced through being a British Asian at drama school. I ended my scratch performance by speaking directly to the audience about what the Brownie Club was and why I created it.

I really enjoyed performing my piece and felt a good response from the audience. It was amazing to part of the British Asian Festival  and showcase some of my work. Thank you Rifco! 

I will be developing the full show later this year, watch this space! 

Sumerah Srivastav: Bollywood Rose - One week to go

So two and a half months later after numerous meetings, heated creative discussion, writing, rewriting plus the distraction and gluttony of christmas, we finally have a musical extract that - dare I say it - everyone is happy with!

Holly and Pravesh have done an amazing job in casting for our piece and Ajay and I are super excited about meeting and working with these amazing artists in the rehearsals next week in anticipation for it's public presentation on the 22nd to a capacity audience woohoo!
It's going to be a nail bitingly big workshop with 4 cast members and 3 musicians. What could possibly go wrong?? Don't forget to look out for the nervous writers at the back :)

British Asian Festival: Scratch performances - Rifco Associates

Friday 22 January 2016, 7pm, The Studio @ Watford Palace Theatre

Free event, book online: rifco.eventbrite.co.uk

15 minute scratch performances of new writing by four Rifco Associates from the theatre company’s artist development scheme.

Bollywood Rose by Sumerah Srivastav & Ajay Srivastav

Bollywood Rose follows the story of Nikita, a self-confessed 'dutiful girl' until she meets the man her parents want her to marry. Unable to voice her unhappiness and desperate to escape Nikita stumbles into the worst possible place - a romantic Bollywood movie.

Brownie Club by Jessica Lucia Andrade

Aerialist Jessica presents a physical comedy exploring how it feels to be a brown woman in Britain.

Salvage by Amarjit Bassan

A confident teenager is forced to question his role as the family saviour after his wayward brother unexpectedly arrives at his school.

Dragasauras by Yasmin Whittaker-Khan

A story of three British Asian drag queens all at different stages of their Drag life who are planning to start a club night in London.

Sukh Ojla: Gravesend Project - Rehearsals & Sharing

There were two days of rehearsals set aside for the sharing. I was lucky enough to work with two experienced actors, Narinder Samra and Sheena Patel. The rehearsal process was even more more useful than I had imagined.  After the initial read through of the play it became much clearer to me what I needed to work on. Even though I created the characters, and being an actor myself it is easy for me to imagine them and what they sound like, having actors read the lines really bought them to life. The actors improvised around the scenes and were briefly hot seated. I got a much better idea of the characters objectives and it made me think about their foibles and more detailed nuances in dialogue.

Following the first day of rehearsals, Pravesh and I met to discuss how to develop the script. I made some adjustments to the script. I spent the evening and the next morning re-writing parts of the script. It was hugely useful to get feedback from Pravesh, although frustrating because I wanted to rewrite huge sections of the script and add scenes but unfortunately due to the time constraint this wasn't possible.

The next day we met in the afternoon to read through the latest version of the script. I made some minor changes to the script. The actors were left to make themselves familiar with the script.

The sharing in the evening was attended by fairly large number of people. I was understandably nervous. I felt that as the writer, there was a lot responsibility on my shoulders to make the experience an enjoyable one! Thankfully, the response as overwhelmingly positive. It was heartening to speak to members of the community afterwards who were excited to know what would happen next with the play. 

I spoke with Pravesh after the sharing and we were both pleased with how it went. He advised me to continue writing and to send him a completed first draft as soon as possible.

More about this project: Sukh Ojla - Gravesend Project

Developed by: Rifco & The Woodville
Seeded by: Greenhouse

Jessica Lucia Andrade: In the studio creating my piece

Today we focussed on the linear progression of my piece and incorporating the stories I have and putting them up in the air!

Towards the end of the day I showed what I had to Pravesh, who was extremely encouraging. Now I need to focus on the script so that I can easily work with the movement.

Amarjit Bassan: My own own personal Dramaturg

I had a telephone conversation with Louise Stephens, the Dramaturg Rifco assigned to me. As well as being really lovely she gave me some excellent suggestions. I had only worked on screenplays till now and so the general rule I had followed said that you should have a clear plot outline before you write. I had been quite fixed in that process.

Louise suggested putting my characters in different scenarios (past, present and future) and seeing what would happen. How would they react? What would make them tick? It was really quite liberating. It really helped as I began developing a back story. 

A week later and I have produced the first draft of my scratch piece. Let's see what Louise thinks...

Amarjit Bassan: New ideas

I met with Pravesh today and we spoke about the outline for my story. He sensed (quite accurately) that it wasn't the strongest story I could write. As this shall eventually be my first play he wanted something from my heart, something that means something to me, something that only I could write. If I was honest with myself, perhaps I did look at all of my ideas and think "Hmm, I have all of these ideas but this one...Rifco would probably like this one". 

Despite me working hard on perfecting my pitch and story outline, there was a sense of relief. I marched off promising two new ideas. But I knew which one I wanted to start on.

Ajay Srivastav: Bollywood Rose - First Meeting

Really excited to meet Holly and Pravesh. They both made us feel really comfortable and represented. I felt Rifco understood what we want to say with our piece and saw our desire to tell an entertainment with a message. Loved the vibe, it was really positive and had a real sense of – let’s do this!

Sumerah Srivastav: Bollywood Rose - First Meeting

I’m really excited to be a Rifco Associate and work with like-minded people in a safe and supportive environment. Our project is a big undertaking and after our first meeting I feel certain that we have found the right home to develop it further.

Jessica Lucia Andrade: Brownie Club - Training

This week I have been training at National Centre For Circus Arts to strengthen my moves and stamina.

I have been playing with shapes that I can hold and then the next stage would be to practice voice with the stories I have.

Jessica Lucia Andrade: Brownie Club - First Meeting

I am extremely grateful to have been given the Seed Commission by Rifco Arts, as this has enabled me to get the support I need to finally put my creative ideas from page to stage.

My meeting with Holly and Pravesh was refreshing to meet such welcoming people in the arts that are willing to develop my idea and nurture me as an artist.

We sat down and talked about my artistic vision and how they can help with producing, dramaturgy and putting my showcase piece on at Watford Palace.

After my individual meeting with them we met the other artists they are commissioning, it was lovely hearing their ideas and artistic journeys. 

I look forward to January to see how each one has developed so far.

Amarjit Bassan: Tape Knot - First Meeting

Meeting Pravesh and Holly at Rifco was an enjoyable and nurturing experience. I am thrilled to have been given this opportunity. I have worked with RIFCO as an actor but am not taking our history for granted. If anything it will me compel me to push myself harder.

I was made to feel that I could clearly state my needs without feeling it would be an inconvenience. I was open and honest about where I feel I am as a writer and what my aims are. I feel I work best when I have deadlines looming over me; a structured and methodical approach. I like lists and timeframes. I value honest and brutal feedback.

Pravesh and Holly instinctively knew I needed. They could see that I want to make a big mark as a writer and sought to put things in place; dramaturges, help with finding an agent, funding applications, etc. They shared their ethos that this project is about setting up long term collaborations and paving the way for new work. This aligned perfectly with my vision as a writer.