The following shows are free to watch right here on this page.
If you would like to and are able, we ask that you consider purchasing a ticket as a donation to Long Cloud Youth Theatre.
Bridges Digital
Long Cloud Youth Theatre
Kia ora! Welcome to Bridges Digital. Bridges was originally planned to be a performance of 6 short scripts back to back live at BATS Theatre in late August.
It feels to us like young people are being pushed further and further away from each other, physically, socio-economically and ideologically. So we asked six of Aotearoa’s most exciting writers to respond to the question: how can we bridge the gaps widening around us? What happens if we don’t?
Due to the August lockdown, we were pushed even further apart and unfortunately had to cancel the season. However, we kept meeting as a company online, and over the three weeks of lockdown we transformed these six short scripts into something else. We have not tried to recreate the live performance - instead we have spun off into the digital world, creating content in isolation inspired by the scripts that our tuakana have given to us. Sometimes we stuck to the script closely and others we have gone way off piste. The following is the result of our online experiments! This is ‘Digital Theatre’, buckle in.
If you, or someone you know wants to join Long Cloud for 2022 our auditions are on February the 2nd and 5th email us at [email protected] for more information!
Enjoy!
Ben Ashby, Artistic Director
Directors: Ben Ashby and Neenah Dekkers-Reihana
Design: Bekky Boyce and Sylvie McCreanor
Company: Anna Gilmour, Britney Herlihy, Cal Stirling, Emma Rattenbury, Grace Prodanov, Ibrahim Al Tayfour, Joel Washington, Josh Tortise, Kaia Costanza-van Den Belt, Kyra Loomans, Levi Hemi, Lexie Ludbrook, Luke Hempleman, Max Steel, Rebekka Shulze, Sam Wahlers, Sarah Lawrence, Tia Rongokea, Timothy Fraser, Xenon Messenger
With support from Nick Rowell, Hannah Clarke, Anya Tate Manning and Stella Reid, Ola Ratka and all of our bubble mates and whanau.
Made possible by Wellington City Council.
No Shit Sherlock by Stella Reid
Aaron Schwartz cannot find their phone. From their own bubbles each of the actors has recorded and added to this remix of Stella Reid’s scene, stirred together by Sam Wahlers.
Aaron Schwartz: Sam Wahlers
Detective Mark: Luke Hempleman
(Voice of) Detective Saverin: Rebecca Lester
Flatmate on Couch: Rebecca Lester
Detective Systrom: Britney Herlihy
Detective Yiming: Rebekka Shulze
Detective Dorsey: Xenon Messenger
Edited by Sam Wahlers
Filmed by Abel Chisnell
Just Right by Sam Brooks
“Outside a party.
It’s one drink past when everybody should’ve gone home. Games of beer pong are
taking twice as long as they should, that sort of thing.
Alex vapes.
Jude tries to hit a bottle of beer with caps of beer. It’s pointless.”
This radio play adaptation of the script was recorded via zoom calls and phone notes
Voice of Jude: Anna Glimour
Voice of Alex: Grace Prodanov
Voice of Nicky: Timothy Fraser
Points by Mitch Tawhi Thomas
The script of Points was already set in the online world, full of facade, bravado, vulnerability and rejection. This is our translation of Mitch Tawhi Thomas’ script back into its natural habitat.
UNICORN99: Kyra Loomans
SADBOY: Emma Rattenbury and Josh Tortise
GETATMEBABY: Timothy Fraser (originally Kaia Costanza-van Den Belt)
NOTYOMUM: Anna Gilmour
HURTONE4U: Max Steel
SCRIPT FOR LONG CLOUD by Jo Randerson
In the middle of SCRIPT FOR LONG CLOUD, Jo Randerson asked us these questions:
“What do you like about making live performance?
Tell us about your connection to live performance as you were growing up?
How do you feel in your body, heart, mind when you are making art/theatre?
What do you expect about your life as an artist to be like?”
This is our response.
Script For Long Cloud 1 by Rebekkah Schulze
Script For Long Cloud 2 by Kyra Loomans
Script For Long Cloud 3 by Xenon Messenger
Script For Long Cloud 4 by Sarah Lawrence
The Revolution Will Be Televised by Anya Tate-Manning
A group of young revolutionaries in London successfully murder the entire british royal family, except for Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle. Onstage this was a frantic, physical ensemble scene, so instead of doing that a digital injustice; These videos are not the scene that Anya wrote but instead have been created by the company, inspired by the characters and text from the original scene.
Aida and Oisín. Filmed and edited by Josh Tortise and Jaime Shelley. Narration by Joel Washington.
Revolution Safehouse. In order of appearance Emma Rattenbury, Joel Washington, Britney Herlihy, Josh Tortise, Luke Hempleman.
Kate’s Morning Routine by Lexi Ludbrook.
an anchorites anthem by Ahi Karunaharan
The narration you hear is text by Ahi Karunaharan. It was given to us with this beautifully ambiguous prompt:
“This text is open to interpretation.
Mess with it like the misbehaving artists that you are.
There are no rules / or structure.
Build it / You make the rules.”
The footage was all captured by longclouders across the three week lockdown.
Narration: Sarah Lawrence, Sam Wahlers, Xenon Messenger, Luke Hempleman
Edit: Grace Prodanov and Sarah Lawrence
