In just over a month, ELART Productions will be presenting the play Memorandum in Lancaster Library (May 6, 8 and 9 at 7.30pm to be precise). Written in 1965 by Vaclav Havel, the first democratically elected president of Czechoslovakia, and translated by Vera Blackwell, Memorandum is a very funny, surreal, black comedy that takes a swipe at a whole range of issues, still all-too topical and familiar today – bureaucracy, language, conformity, business practices and inter-personal relationships. It’s a play I first came across years ago at university and I’ve wanted to put on a full production of it ever since. With its political edge, it seems fitting somehow that this will finally happen during election week – I am expecting some of the lines to have particular resonance due to the timing!
As always, it’s huge fun to work with a group of talented and committed people to bring a play to life. We’re a reasonable way into rehearsals now – a certain amount of blocking done and lines well on the way to being learned (aren’t they, any cast members reading this…?!). I’m looking forward to the next stages – adding as much detail and polish as we possibly can, while continuing to learn about the characters and plot. The addition of props will also be particularly interesting on this occasion, including, as they do, fire extinguishers, lots of knives and forks and lots and lots of fruit…
Here are just a very few rehearsal photos from earlier this week. I’ve chosen interesting gestures as the theme for this selection (as always, an area in which I seem to do particularly well…)
elaru xx