Three's Company Blog

Three's Company Support Scheme now online!

2008-11-06T12:32:00.005Z

A new way to support Three's Company has arrived. Take a look at the support page of the website and decide if you can help and if you feel like a Little Pig, a Stooge, a Musketeer, an Amigo or a member of our exclusive Holy Trinity*!

*Get it?

Three's Company hit the West End

2008-11-04T14:52:00.003Z

That's right, Three's Company's first performance since going full-time will be at the Tristan Bates Theatre in the West End... although at the not-quite-prime-time of midnight.

Each month, the Tristan Bates runs the 'Midnight Matinees' - a showcase for new work with a strong following among London theatre fans happy to stay up late.

We will be producing a new piece of interactive theatre - expanding on the work we started in Auditorium - based around the recording of a new radio comedy.

Most exciting, this latest work will be in collaboration with up-coming comedy group Comedy Trio - formed by Martin Brady-Small, John Withershaw & Jazz Carter. We can't go into detail about the exact nature of this collaboration here but head to their website - comedytrio.co.uk - to find out more.

The piece - A Live Transmission of 'Adventure Time' - will be appearing, along with other work, as part of the 'Midnight Matinee' at the Tristan Bates Theatre on Saturday November 15th - starting at (surprise surprise) midnight.

The shows sell-out each month but it would be really good to have a little bit of a home crowd so do please come along (if you don't mind a late night). It's only £5 (!) for the whole evening's entertainment and tickets can be booked by calling 020 7240 6283 or emailing boxoffice@tristanbatestheatre.co.uk

Happy Hallowe'en!

2008-10-30T21:22:00.005Z

Happy Hallowe'en to all our friends and countrymen!

Having trouble thinking of a costume this year? Never fear, Three's Company's here...

Just follow these simple steps for a unique last minute costume:

Michael Grady-Skull

Tomenstein's Monster

Count Al-Shaater

Choose your favourite member of Three's Company - Tom, Michael, or Yaz.
Download the appropriate mask
Print it out. You may wish to enlarge it using a photocopier if you've got a big head.
Cut around the dotted lines
Using a sharp object, make some eyeholes that line up with your eyes. For best results, don't do this whilst wearing the mask.
Find a way to attach it to your head - elastic is recommended but sellotape might do the trick if you're desperate
Go out and spook your friends!

Send us some photos of yourself dressed like this, and we might just put them on our blog...

3C at the Buxton Opera House

2008-09-23T17:51:00.002+01:00

Three's Company have been invited to perform at the Buxton Fringe's 30th Anniversary performance at the Buxton Opera House. The 1000-seat theatre will play host to a variety of acts from the Fringe's 30 years, Friday November 7th. Read more and book your tickets here.

Three's Company performed their very first independent production - Platformation - at the Buxton Fringe in 2003 and have since produced another six new works at the Festival, winning four Fringe awards.

Hav'st thine self a Merry Little Christmas.

2008-09-04T02:39:00.004+01:00

Three's Company have been talking about possible Christmas shows for next year. The three of us are at the start of devising and work shopping a possible production for the festive season.

After rereading our unofficial first production 'Trouble in Pantoland' we have decided to work on a pantomime to try to introduce young people to the wonderful world of Shakespeare.

Ladies and Gentleman 'Shakespeare in Pantoland'.

Dogberry (from 'Much Ado') as Widow Twankey
Viola (from 'Twelfth Night') as Prince Charming
and introducing
Richard III as the Sheriff of Nottingham!

More Shakespeare for 3C

2008-09-01T20:22:00.002+01:00

Discussions are underway for Three's Company to mount another 'Othello' like production.

Since our success in the Pauper's Pit Theatre with Othello in 2004, we have wanted to stage another of the great Elizabethan Verse plays.

As well as our wish to re-stage our version of Shakespeare's Othello set in 'Iago's theatre of Mass Destruction' 3C are planning more...

...including...

-a production of Macbeth - discussions are beginning with actress Mariam Bell to appear as 'Lady Macbeth'.

-Romeo and Juliet, with Yaz as Mercutio, Tom as Benvolio and me as Romeo.

- and (ever since performing a section of the brilliant Arden of Faversham at TheShakespeare's Globe's Sam Wanamaker Festival this year), I'm desperate to get a production up and running of the brilliant anonymously-written black-comedy.

Who knows which will come first!

The Auditorium is now closed.

2008-08-25T23:55:00.002+01:00

So that's the end of another Edinburgh Fringe. And what a great one it was too. I'm so sorry that I couldn't have been up there for longer because I know everyone had such a brilliant time.

Congratulations to David, Will, Kate, Amr, Ben, Kayleigh, Ceili, John and Jo. And of course to Tom and Yaz for another Edinburgh success.

Thanks to everyone who came to see the show, and you guys that didn't... well...

I'm sure this is not the end for Auditorium, keep you're eyes on the website for more exciting interactive theatre experimentation!

in fair Verona....

2008-08-24T12:52:00.001+01:00

Well, the very day after Auditorium ends, Michael starts his run of Romeo and Juliet in London.

After a week of previews tonight is the Press Night for Theatre of Memory's production. (And, in case you wondered, that's why Michael wasn't in Edinburgh).

If you haven't quite had your fix of Three's Company, pop along to Middle Temple Hall to see one third of them in Shakespeare's greatest love story.

All the best of luck to Michael and the rest of the cast!

Romeo and Juliet ends on 13th September.

'Auditorium' Photo call

2008-08-18T23:50:00.004+01:00

Been to see Auditorium yet?

If you've been by, and are one of the many that have been taking photos (or videos), send them on to us at photos@threescompany.co.uk.
We'll putting up a webpage with the best shots shortly.

Yet another reason to come see our latest five star show!

Back in the Hoodies

2008-08-12T13:00:00.005+01:00

Well our hoodies have finally arrived and they look great! They might be a little late* but they're still earlier than last year... and look even better!

Thanks to Haz Al-Shaater for handling most of the design, and to the ever-lovely Elderfield Studios for printing them so beautifully, quickly, and at such a great price.

We've also got a number of limited edition Auditorium T Shirts for sale at the bargain price of £7.50. Drop us a line if you'd like to get hold of one - all proceed go towards funding future productions.

*I should probably point out that it Yaz's fault they're late, not the printers!

Interactivity & 'Auditorium'

2008-08-10T15:28:00.007+01:00

This is the first in a series of blog posts about interactivity and the theory behind Auditorium.

What do we mean when we claim to be the first fully interactive farce? Well of course it all comes down to your definition of interactivity - and whether you can quantify the level of interaction in a piece. We're trying to avoid what I call the four pitfalls of interactivity, based on the work I've seen and studied over the last few years.

For us, the challenge we set ourselves was to create a consistent narrative with a decent story arc and compelling development whilst still allowing the audience to truly affect the show. Moreover, we wanted to do this without ever stepping out of character or breaking the illusion, and without limiting the audience to the constraints of finite 'multiple choice' theatre.

There's a lot of theatre out there where you can interact with the characters - 'immersive' or 'site specific' theatre, and works by the likes of dreamthinkspeak or Punchdrunk. In these works your individual 'narrative' (eg experience) might be interactive, but the story of the piece is largely untouched by your actions. There's also increasing amounts of theatre where you can interact with the narrative - works inspired by the 'choose your own adventure' series, works where you can vote for an ending, even arguably impro shows. But in these cases you only deal with out of character performers, narrators, or technology, and not the characters themselves.

Perhaps what makes Auditorium different is that we're trying to make a piece where you can interact with both the characters and the story – so you can play the story rather than just watch the play.

If you've any thoughts on these ideas, or seen the play and wish to comment on whether we've achieved this, please tell us your thoughts in the comments below. We'll be writing soon about our 'Four Pitfalls' of interactivity, and about some of the ways that audiences have reacted to this convention.

This is the first in a series of blog posts about interactivity and the theory behind Auditorium.

The reviews come flooding in!

2008-08-06T18:53:00.010+01:00

We've had our first few reviews for 'Auditorium' at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Below are extracts from each and below that are links to the full articles. We'll add more here as we get them. Watch this space!

"I don't think I've ever seen fourth-wall chicanery worked into a farce - not, that is, till I came across Tom Crawshaw's magnificent Auditorium, an original work for Fringe veterans Three's Company."
"There's word-play which could have been taken straight out of Stoppard, existentialist debates, and an hilarious deconstruction of the audience itself. But as the story wears on, it gets raunchier, funnier and faster, with Crawshaw's script pressing into service all the elements of classic farce."
"Farce, existentialism, and a dose of the X-Files: I'd never have thought it a winning combination. But this continually entertaining and warm-hearted play proves that anything's possible."
***** FringeGuru

"Three's Company, the creators of last year's Fringe hit, Play On Words, are offering another hilariously interactive experimental comedy this year."
"Crawshaw's script blends impressively with the improvised moments and it is often impossible to tell whether the person sitting next to you is an ignorant audience member or a slyly placed plant. In short, this clever play is not just highly amusing, but also something you're unlikely to see elsewhere."
**** Broadway Baby

"The action begins the moment you enter the performance space and the show is great all the way through."
"On one level this play is funny and silly, and on another level it is clever and raises some important questions; most importantly, it had everyone laughing out loud and it left me feeling thoroughly entertained. This play was odd, but brilliant, and well worth seeing."
****Three Weeks

"Breaking the fourth wall is a bold move for any show - stage or screen - to make, and most who use that method are cagey about it. Auditorium doesn't dip its toe in the water, it dives in holding a bag of air and a rock."
"A remarkable achievement... All in all, this is one of the fresher offerings around."
**** Hairline

"Tom Crawshaw's script is quite excellent"
"A tongue-in-cheek Cache for the stage - makes for many laughs and a wistful finale"
"A well-delivered and curious performance"
**** Fest Magazine

"Any battle cries from the miserabilist anti-Fringers, who suggest that innovation is waning at this year's festival, should be silenced by this pacey, part-improv theatre piece."
The Scotsman

"Tom Crawshaw’s play has some clever variations on the fourth wall-busting theme. It thrives on surprise, making you suspicious of whether the person next to you is an actor or just a regular audience member."
"The ingenious premise, a series of brilliant little coups de theatre and some strong comic performances make this a very watchable show from an inventive young company."
The Stage

"Think Six Characters In Search Of An Author mixed with Being John Malkevich, written as a farce by Philip K Dick, and you'll get a faint idea of the tone and style of this new work by the company behind last year's Play On Words."
"Auditorium is a gloriously diverting, sprawling, anarchic mess of a play (and I do mean that as a compliment). It moves at a cracking pace and is often very funny indeed. Its use of the audience is very clever."
On Stage Scotland

Fringe Guru
Broadway Baby
Three Weeks
Hairline
Fest
The Scotsman
The Stage
On Stage Scotland

A great Edinburgh weekend!

2008-08-04T20:17:00.003+01:00

I have just got back from Edinburgh (I've been there for the weekend) and am now back in rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet.

I just wanted to send a congratulations to all the cast and crew working on 'Auditorium' up there. The show on Saturday was fantastic. If anybody has not yet worked out when they are going to see 'the world's first interactive farce' do it now.

Oh and guys, congratulations on your four stars in 'Three Weeks'.

Your thoughts on 'Auditorium'

2008-08-01T14:49:00.002+01:00

We really value your feedback on our shows. Criticisms help us improve, and positive comments help attract further audiences (and stop us wanting to give up!) so if you have seen Auditorium please let us know what you think.
You can do this in the following ways:

Leave a comment below - click on "comments" after this post to add a comment to it. It's quick and easy and you don't need to leave any personally identifiable information.

Rate & Review us at edfringe.com - you can rate our show out of five and add a review at the Official Edinburgh Fringe website. This can really help us as Edinburgh audiences will see this, so if you have a couple of minutes please head over and rate or review us. It requires a quick registration at the site, but again, when you add a review, your information doesn't show up.

Email Us - we are lovely friendly people who like it when people email us. If you got any questions or ideas, are interested in working with us or just wanna say hi, get in touch!

In The Bar - catch us in the C Bar after the show - we're normally in for at least half an hour after 10.30pm...

Thanks!

Be a part of 'Auditorium'!

2008-07-30T23:21:00.002+01:00

That's right folks - there's a part in 'Auditorium' which we have left un-cast and are looking for a different person to fill it every day!

All you need is to be free the night of the performance (meet 8:30pm for briefing, show finishes 10:15pm). Then come along to our auditions that day and try your look. All you have to do is read a line of script and then our audience that day will choose the winner. You get a free ticket to see the show (the part is performed from in the audience).

Audition times & places:

3:50pm, Saturday 2^nd, Sunday 3^rd, Wednesday 6^th, Thursday 7^th, Sunday 10^th, on the Royal Mile, Lower Stage
5:30pm, Monday 11^th, Tuesday 12^th, Friday 15^th, Saturday 16^th, on the Royal Mile, Lower Stage
3:10pm, Monday 18^th, Wednesday 20^th, Friday 22^nd, Sunday 24^th, on the Royal Mile, Lower Stage

1:30pm, Monday 4^th, Tuesday 5^th, Friday 8^th, Saturday 9^th, Wednesday 13^th, Sunday 17^th, Tuesday 19^th, in the main bar at C (Chambers Street)

And Thursday 14th, as paart of 'Pick 'n' Mix' at C Venues.

Farewell to Buxton

2008-07-26T19:03:00.001+01:00

Well, after ten sell-out shows, 400 audiences (plus 200 turned away), 40 spontaneous performers, one reviewer (and one superlative review!), three balls of string, about twenty trips to Conways Timber Merchants, four bouts of food poisoning and one very badly sprained ankle, it's finally time for us to say goodbye and thank you very much to Buxton for another splendid year.

As usual, you've provided a brilliant audience, a fantastic atmosphere, and priceless feedback. We're sorry we couldn't indulge your cries for extra performances. We miss you already.

Same time next year?

'Auditorium' sold out!

2008-07-20T14:12:00.001+01:00

Apologies to those of you who've been trying to see the show and not managed. We are now sold out for the remaining three nights.

However, it is always worth trying to get returns. Simply call the Underground Venues phone on 07980 29 29 78 and we can add you to a returns list for each night. Then turn up at 8:20pm when we release the tickets.

Or you can come and see the show when it appears, complete and resplendant, in Edinburgh - from July 30th!

"Imaginative, innovative, unique, intelligent...."

2008-07-18T13:27:00.001+01:00

Forgive the quiet on the blog recently - but here's a quick post with our latest review:

Oh my goodness! This performance is amazing: it is imaginative, innovative, unique, intelligent and very funny. The whole cast was outstanding, extremely confident and above all made it an evening of fun and much laughter. I honestly can't recommend it highly enough. I shan't describe it - words can't describe it - you shall have to go and see it for yourselves. I must warn you to be prepared, however. Be prepared for tears of laughter and plenty of surprises!

Book your tickets now - quick, before they all go!

-Jenny Heyward, Official Fringe Review

We'll get some more news up on here soon!

Another casting opportunity!

2008-07-01T03:46:00.004+01:00

Just putting the word out for our buddies over at Metal Mouth Theatre, who are looking for an actress double-quick.

The exciting new theatre ensemble - who make Three's Company look like OAPs - are recasting a role in 90's Kid, a play by Taio Rene-Lawson and Joel MacCormack (the latter being our brilliant assistant director on Auditorium).

'Michael's Mum' (playing age 18-31) is a dark, unstable character with a quirky bohemian edge. It's a role full of humour, passion and raw emotion - and the most important character in the play.

90's Kid is in rehearsals throughout July, and is showing on the 28th & 29th July at the Etcetera Theatre in the Camden Fringe. If you're free for these dates, drop them a line at casting@metalmouththeatre.com - or check out their website for more details.

Auditorium Cast and Crew complete

2008-06-01T19:51:00.002+01:00

Well, we had a few weeks of auditions and interviews over at our new rehearsal space in Hackney and had terrible difficulty choosing the best of a very good bunch...

However, we are very excited at the truly disparate and highly talented cast and crew which we can now confirm.

Performing Auditorium, the newly-finished interactive comedy are:

Experienced impro and interactivity specialist David Lear - playing Guy.
Beautiful and hilarious Canadian actor and dancer Kate Richard - playing Heather.
Quick fire comedian and authentic cockney wheeler-dealer Will Nightingale - playing Yogi.
Our own much-beloved Kayleigh McDonald - returning after starring in Othello and Our Country's Good to play Charlotte
Egyptian-American, ex-lawer and short-film star Amr El-Bayoumi
The "most vocal lighting technician on the Fringe" - Ben Cooper - returning after Play On Words to play lighting technican Sonic

And this talented bunch will be supported by the following:

Bekki Coward - building on her success with Three's Company's Play On Words to work as Production Manager
Gareth Martin - turning his extensive experience as a Designer to the demands of the set and props
Neil Keating - who has been working as Dramaturg for the project since October
Joel MacCormack - 16-year-old prodigy of Metal Mouth Theatre Company, taking on our internship position, and working as Assistant Director between his work with the NYT and National Theatre.
Stage Manager extraordinare, Ceili Freeman
Wily business graduate Joanna Reekie who is helping with marketing, admin, accommodation and many more things besides
And the brains behind many a 3C poster - Haz Al-Shaater, providing Graphic Design

Which leaves Yaz Al-Shaater as Director of the whole thing and myself (Tom Crawshaw) as Writer (and also a little cameo).

The first read-through is but a week away so just time to tweak the script a bit more - oh and sit those last exams...

We're recruiting!

2008-05-26T15:14:00.005+01:00

We're running another internship, for an assistant director on Auditorium.

We want an enthusiastic and energetic young theatre maker to help us realise a massive project...

You'll be working closely with the creative team on Auditorium, assisting in rehearsals, helping envision and plan our cyberformance, and immersing yourself in the project just as we will. We're looking for a collaborator; not a servant! The work will be mostly creative - we'll keep admin to a minimum: you'll only do boring stuff when we do boring stuff. And we're not fond of boring stuff.

We want somebody dedicated, enthusiastic, excitable, reliable, ridiculously hardworking, and intensely creative... just like any job in the theatre. If you think that's you, then you're probably lying to yourself. But get in touch if you're heading in that direction! The job will be demanding, but incredibly rewarding.

You'll need to be free to plunge into rehearsals and meetings throughout June - but we can arrange some flexibility if you have other commitments. There's also the potential to tour the Buxton & Edinburgh Fringes with us, over July and/or August. If you do, you'll get passes to see any show at the venues for free - well over 300 pieces of comedy, music, and all types of theatre.

Interested? First check out our page on Auditorium. Then browse our website, if you haven't already, to get an idea of who we are. Take a look at our working with Three's Company page. Then email us on iwanttowork@threescompany.co.uk, telling us why you want to work at Three's Company, and why we'd want you to work at Three's Company. We'll contact you to arrange an informal interview. CVs etc might help, but aren't compulsory. Your email doesn't need to be incredibly formal (as you probably guessed). Application close when we fill the post.

Give us a shout if you need any more info.

Get emailing!

Trouble in Pantoland

2008-04-07T18:57:00.002+01:00

Plans are underway to rework our Pantomime to tour schools and be available for schools to produce for themselves.

If you are a intrested in this production please do get in contact with us via our contacts page.

Auditions announced for 'Auditorium'

2008-04-01T19:34:00.003+01:00

We are pleased to announce auditions for our forthcoming tour of 'Auditorium' to the Buxton and Edinburgh Fringe. We are looking for a number of actors - for both full character roles as well as smaller and temporary parts - to join our 16-strong team for this exciting and unique project.

Auditions will be held in London the week beginning 7th April, with recalls and workshops later that week or the following week. Rehearsals will be in London during June. The show will then be on tour from early July to late August.

We are looking for actors with abilities in comedy, as well as improvisation and ensemble work, keen to join a vibrant team with responsibilities outside simply performing.
The three main roles on offer are:

Yogi (male, mid-20s) a friendly and entertaining failed performer who befriends the audience in a bid to win back his best friend.
Heather (female, mid-20s) the long-lost girlfriend of Guy (played by Yaz Al-Shaater), who makes a suspicious return and harbours a dark secret.
Inspector (male, late 20s / early 30s) a mysterious but slightly Clouseau-esque character who emerges from the audience in an attempt to invade the stage-world.

Smaller roles include:

Boss (male, 20s / 30s) a force behind the entire plot but who only appears on stage at the very end.
Girlfriend (female, 20s) who starts in the audience but storms out when her boyfriend becomes embroiled in the action.

If you are interested in any of the above roles and would like to audition or get some more information, simply email auditions@threescompany.co.uk

Three's Company at CETT

2008-03-06T21:57:00.008Z

Breaking news... Three's Company have just been invited to speak at The Centre for Excellence in Theatre Training (CETT) this April. We will be taking part in the two day 'Theatre Materials/Material Theatres' conference this April, speaking about Creative Enterprise. The event will be led by Karl Rouse, Senior Lecturer in Alternative Theatre & New Performance Practice at Central School of Speech & Drama, with David Kirby (distinguished author of Entrepreneurship) and Elizabeth Bradley from New York University.

The international conference is one of a series of annual events run by CETT, and we're very excited to be involved!

More details to follow soon. Click the title of this post (or here) to find out more about the conference, or book your place...

Edinburgh Digs anyone?

2008-03-05T15:44:00.002Z

Anyone know anyone who might have accomodation in Edinburgh over the festival?

We're particularly looking for students with digs up there, who'll be out over the summer, and who wouldn't mind us paying their rent!

If you fit that description, or know anyone who does, or know anyone who might know anyone who might know someone who does, PLEASE join our Accomodation Facebook group at http://threescompany.co.uk/digs. Invite anyone with any leads and get your friends to do the same.

There's cash rewards and other bonuses going for people who can help!

More info about our Edinburgh show will follow very soon...