Morphic Graffiti, Part 31 and the last Sherlock tonight!

So here we are, lunchtime on the 10th May. The last performance of The Revenge of Sherlock Holmes! at Hoxton Hall and the end of Morpic Graffiti’s second show. Wow! It seems rather incredible to think that the journey to this point has happened so quickly!

Apologies for lack of blogs, every waking moment has been spent on marketing the show, sending emails and chasing various bits and bobs that generally take up ones life during the running of a show!

The past few weeks have been incredibly busy, working on maintaining the show and ‘general managing’ it as the producers. Having been involved in the creative elements, the upkeep of the show has been paramount. Xye and the team (Chris, Ema, Jorja) have been back stage every show, dressing cast members into costumes and wigs and repairing the seemingly endless costumes that in such a fast paced, vibrant show will come under a lot of wear and tear. Even some of the cast have picked up a needle and thread to sew a hem or replace a button, so thank you all!

Xye and Stewart mending Signora Moriarty’s big sleeves!

The day to day running of the show is handed over to the cast, band and stage management team who have done an incredible job. Gemma and Camille have run the show like a dream, dealing with prop breakages, stroppy smoke machines and even a LED lamp that decided to not do as it was told and instead flicker like an 80’s disco light in lurid red, blue and green light!

Nathan and the band have performed brilliantly at every show. The occasional ‘dep’ (another musician who covers for one of the band) has come in and blended in with the sound beautifully so that even a perfectionist like me could not tell that someone was playing the show after such a tiny amount of rehearsal time. Thank you band for being brilliant and for improving your “oh dear” shout outs!!!

Whether large, or small, our audiences have been laughing and enjoying themselves over the past month and the feedback from them has been electrifying. Be it the magic, the puppets, the comedy, the band or the choreography, every component part of the production has been praised by audiences and critics alike. We had no idea some 8 months ago if the piece or the concept we had would work, so to see it brought to life has been incredibly rewarding.

Our beloved ‘Mary’ the skeleton from the brilliiant ‘morgue’ scene

Tonight is the final performance and then the infamous ‘get out’ where the set, props and costumes all get cleared from the venue. It is a horrible job as whenever you reach a last night, you know that the production, at that venue, will never be performed in the same way again. But, theatre evolves and we have had a fab time at Hoxton Hall and could think of no better venue in the country that we could set this particular version of The Revenge of Sherlock Holmes! (Must give a quick shout out to Michael, Rob and the entire Front of House team at Hoxton who have been amazing!!!)

On a personal note, it has been an amazing journey thus far. I cannot believe how fortunate I am to have worked with and met some incredible people these past 8 months of this project. Not least working with the show’s author, Leslie Bricusse, has been incredible and a relationship Stewart and I hope to continue as Morphic Graffiti expands. I must also say a huge thank you to our sensational creative team and to our cast and band, for embracing the crazy world of Music Hall and letting Morphic Graffiti do something just that little bit different!

Stewart’s original set model now realised at Hoxton Hall!

As with Jekyll and Hyde, the question I am asked more than ever at the moment is ‘What’s next?’. The answer is definitely ‘something!!’ so watch this space. Morphic Graffiti is a labour of love and Stewart and I want to learn and grow from every production we do. We have already de-briefed with our Technical Manager Sharon and will do the same with all departments to make sure we absorb everything we can from this experience. They say you only learn by doing, and believe me we have learnt so much!

One more tonight then!

Luke x

Morphic Graffiti, Part 30 and the Review Round Up and first Production Photos!

The Revenge of Sherlock Holmes! has opened! Hoorah! After a jam packed rehearsal period and a long and exhausting technical rehearsal process, the show opened (albeit 45 minutes late!) last Wednesday evening and press have been attending since Friday night’s press night. The audience response has been nothing short of fantastic and the critics appear to share the same opinion. We have brought all the current reviews together in our ‘Review Round Up’ which is below.

Apologies to our faithful blog readers for the lack of blog updates during rehearsals. The workload for everyone has been immense and everyone has barely had time to rest their eyes let alone open the laptop and type!

Both Stewart and I can only begin to thank the hard work, determination and sheer grit that everyone involved in the project has invested in the production. It is quite incredible to think that just five weeks ago we all met up for the first day of rehearsals with a bizarre idea of taking an existing piece and setting it in the world of Victorian Music Hall.

I will blog more details about the work that has gone on, but for now, please enjoy our reviews and a sneak peak at the production photos. Book your tickets now! You are not going to want to miss this!

Here’s what the critics have said so far:

WHATSONSTAGE ****
“Treachery, turmoil, tweed!” a mantra sounded on your average night out in east London and a perfect epigram to Morphic Graffiti’s The Revenge of Sherlock Holmes!

It’s a story that Arthur Conan Doyle would appreciate, crammed full of intrigue, innuendo and irony all adding up to an appropriately wry homage to the Holmes writer. Andrea Miller playing the dame somehow manages to channel both Miranda Richardson’s Queen Elizabeth and June Brown’s Dot Branning.

These songs are certainly unique … A hilarious duet in a morgue followed by the singularly best cockney rhyming slang themed song I have ever heard intoxicate the audience and are surely a much better use of the musical form than many West End shows seem to manage.

The company certainly does not seem to need the budget of such shows either. The costumes cannot be faulted and have been clearly put together with much craft. They are paraded upon a wonderful set with plenty of appropriate trap doors and the play is eminently enhanced by working around such a ramshackle and distinctly Victorian stage.

Reviving the old music hall without simply parodying the 19th century content it once held is no mean feat, but for such a loud and proud cast, enjoying themselves and their sources, it is certainly elementary, my dear readers.

THE PUBLIC REVIEWS *****
It begins from the moment you step through the doors into the old music hall…an absolutely stunning piece of musical theatre.

There are many things that make this musical worth every penny of admission and more. Not least the fantastic detailing in both the words and music, but in the set and costumes by Stewart Charlesworth as well.

The original songs and music by one of the most well regarded theatrical composer of the last few decades, Leslie Bricusse, are just perfect and when combined with the choreography of Lee Proud bring the Victorian music hall setting to true and vibrant life.

On a more serious note, the historical authenticity of this music hall style will delight any aficionados of the form. The work itself is a near perfect transposition of the Opera buffa style into a music hall setting, something referenced with a very neat joke in the performance itself.

This is theatre that relies on surprises (of which there are many) and, of course, mystery so telling any more just wouldn’t be fair.

There are so many other reasons to recommend this show, far too many to mention. Suffice to say, Morphic Graffiti (the same company who gave us the hit Jekyll and Hyde last year), have created a stunner. It is sad to think that there may be some unfortunate people who will not get a chance to see this show before it closes.

TIME OUT
If you’re going to pay homage to Victorian music hall culture in 2013, how better to do so than with someone as popular now as he was back then? That’s precisely what young theatre company Morphic Graffiti has done in this follow up to its well received 2012 debut ‘Jekyll and Hyde’.
The joy of Luke Fredericks’s production is in the detail, from the audience banter to the puppetry, magic tricks, purpose-built proscenium arch and cardboard cut-out scenery. Played across every level of the atmospheric, authentically Victorian Hoxton Hall, it beautifully evokes entertainment from a different era.

….there’s much to enjoy, from Amanda Goldthorpe-Hall’s brilliantly hammy opera singer to a hilarious Stephen Leask ad-libbing effortlessly as the hapless Inspector Lestrade.

 
ONE STOP ARTS *****
Victorian venue Hoxton Hall marks 150 years with an absurdly enjoyable production of Leslie Bricusse’s Holmes musical: Morphic Graffiti, following up 2012′s Jekyll & Hyde, hit paydirt with this welcome revival into which a talented and exhaustingly energetic cast fling themselves with gusto. Slap on your deerstalker and string up your disbelief for this all-singing, all-dancing caper through the greatest Holmes case that never was.

….the joy of this show is that it’s done with exactly the right mixture of affection and irreverence to please hardcore Holmesians and ordinary punters alike.

Bricusse’s lyrics are witty, complex and sharp where they need to be, sweet when the song demands; his melodies are catchy, hummable and varied enough to retain musical interest, and his book boasts some great gags, characterful, credible dialogue and a cracker of a plot.

Luke Fredericks’s peppy, beguiling production pays homage to its venue’s history by incorporating elements of music-hall into the show, and this stylistic choice works brilliantly…

John Cusworth (Dr Watson) also has bags of charm and presence, yet despite looking like John Barrowman’s sexier older brother, he’s not just a pretty face: his cheerful, gung-ho Watson lights up the stage and garners some of the biggest laughs in songs like “Halcyon Days”, a morgue-set duet which recalls the farcical absurdism of a Mel Brooks movie.

…with Stewart Charlesworth’s kaleidoscopic period costumes and ingenious set, and the contagious air of loving every damn second exuded by the cast, it would be churlish to give this show less than five stars.

It’s rare to find a musical even non-musical-fans can love, but with its panto panache, boundless energy, toe-tapping tunes and mischievous sense of fun, The Revenge of Sherlock Holmes is it.

FRONT ROW DRESS *****
After Leslie Bricusse (Doctor Dolittle, Willy Wonka, Victor Victoria) caught and approved of sharp new production team Morphic Graffiti’s contemporary updating of his Jekyll and Hyde at the Union last year, he suggested that they have a stab at his 1989 Sherlock Holmes musical. Director Luke Fredericks and designer Stewart Charlesworth came up with the ingenious idea of transforming the show into a music hall romp, hence the perfect marriage of material to performance space.

None of that brief synopsis does remote justice to the unalloyed joy that emanates from every pore of every member of the superb cast. Dressed in beautiful bright period costumes on cartoon-like sets they deliver Bricusse’s perky score full of tuneful ensemble numbers.

The witty cockney rhyming slang of Apples n Pears is raucously staged and choreographed by the ingenious Lee Proud and some soul-searching ballads bring pathos to Andrea Miller’s superficially blousy crowd-pleasing Mrs Hudson and Leonie Heath’s revenge hungry Bella Spellgrove.

Sherlock himself is brought sharply to life by tousle haired Colin Firth lookalike Tim Walton, always one step ahead of all around him. Walton is another of those West End stars-in-waiting with oodles of charisma and a calm centred presence when all around is artful chaos.

With a sense of history permeating the proceedings onstage and the building itself, it is impossible not to get caught up in the melodrama and fun, with even the darker moments played for laughs (yes the drug habit gets a mention, but not enough to scare the kids). Peppered throughout with classic illusions and with an interval singalong to encourage stragglers back from the bar, this is top notch entertainment for all the family, take your granny or your grandchild and I guarantee that they will love every moment. Take a date or a mate and you won’t be disappointed.

THE STAGE
Director and designer team Luke Fredericks and Stewart Charlesworth have collaborated with author Leslie Bricusse for this production and re-worked the problematic musical as a fantasia on Victorian Music Hall.

This conceit succeeds to a greater extent and the incorporation of vigorous choreography, magic tricks and stock characters instantly recognisible from the halls, go some way to reconciling the musical’s difficulties. Charlesworth’s inventive set features some charming touches.

The ensemble works extremely hard recreating the flavour of the music hall experience and there are some great moments, especially from Stephen Leask’s melodramatic Inspector Lestrade, Amanda Goldthorpe-Hall’s mysterious Signora Moriarty and Andrea Miller proves a firm favourite with the audience as a garrulous Mrs Hudson.

Tim Walton hits just about the right note as a musical Holmes, channelling a Boys’ Own enthusiasm to bring lighter touches to the notoriously sombre detective and his relationship with John Cusworth’s Dr Watson develops as a recognisable double act of sorts. Holmes’ unfulfilled romance with Leonie Heath’s playful Bella certainly benefits from a broader handling of the material and its conclusion is far more satisfying in this mould.

REVIEWSGATE
A musical delight in a Palace of Varieties

Ramshackle, spirited and frequently very funny Luke Frederick’s staging of this old Leslie Bricusse musical suggests that it really is worth a second look.

Bricusse’s score is sparkling, his lyrics genuinely witty – there is a terrific rhyming slang Apples and Pears number – and on the face of it the show deserves a revival. It also benefits from a good cast with Tim Walton making a very dashing Sherlock, more ladies man than the usual desiccated bachelor, and Leonie Heath a delightful Bella trying to decide whether to kill or marry the man. Andrea Miller – clearly the Hoxton Hall’s resident harridan star – almost stops the show as Mrs Hudson who is presented as a man mad widow rather than a provider of comfort to two bachelor boys.

 
A YOUNGER THEATRETransported back to the late 1800s, the audience was treated to an intimate, hilarious performance of a play which tells the story of Sherlock Holmes’s return from the Reichenbach falls, and his readjustment to a boring society without his arch nemesis, Professor Moriarty.

Introduced by the brilliant Dr. Watson – played here by John Cusworth – we are led through an adventure with chases through London, which takes on the high spirits of the music hall era with a somewhat frenetic pace that is held together by the fantastic band which accompanies the cast – and what a cast this is. With a pedigree which names at least six West-End musicals, the cast has an impressive history – and it shows in their performances. Holmes, played by Tim Walton, is especially fantastic, encapsulating the traditional, sharp demeanour of the detective, whilst also revealing his softer side as he faces the beautiful Bella Spellgrove (Leonie Heath). Soon finding himself in deep water, however, it’s up to Dr. Watson, Inspector Lestrade and the Baker Street Irregulars to save the day.
Luke Fredericks and Nathan Jarvis, as Director and Musical Director respectively, have done a wonderful job to fill the small space of Hoxton Hall with laughter and song, perfectly balancing a comic self-awareness with the sincere desire to see a job well done.

In an age where Sherlock Holmes is in almost every direction you look, it’s somewhat nice to see a return to the stories in their original Victorian setting, with corsets, petticoats and top hats. Though the production needs polishing, which will likely come further into the run, for such a fresh idea – to adapt the play to the space, rather than attempting the opposite – The Revenge of Sherlock Holmes is a hugely exciting piece.

PLAYS TO SEE
There is one very good reason to see this Hoxton Hall revival of Leslie Brisusse’s 1988 show, The Revenge of Sherlock Holmes: Lee Proud’s choreography is the finest I’ve seen this year outside the West End, and is drilled with military precision into a more than capable ensemble.

And what of the show? Well, there are laughs aplenty in Morphic Graffiti(the producer)’s re-setting of the show as a ‘Music Hall Entertainment’, and the venerable setting of the 150 year old Hoxton Hall becomes as much a star as any single member of the cast.

The cast do sterling work with what they have been given and under the sure and witty directorial hand of Luke Fredericks make the evening an entertaining one.

Tim Walton as Sherlock Holmes is splendidly versatile in what is a physically quite demanding role. John Cusworth plays Dr Watson for laughs, but as we are watching a ‘show within a show’ this seems entirely appropriate. His eyebrows alone should be up for an Offie. Amanda Goldthorpe-Hall, dressed unnervingly like an ENO Queen of the Night by costume designer Stewart Charlesworth, brings operatic gravitas to her role as Signora Moriarty, able assisted by a charmingly ingénue-ish performance from Leonie Heath as Bella Spellgrove. Andrea Miller, in the role of sexually frustrated housekeeper, Mrs Hudson, is every bit the predatory cougar, and the principles are rounded off by a suitably plod-like Stephen Leask as Inspector Lestrade.

Praise should be heaped, however, on ‘The Baker Street Irregulars’- effectively the boys and girls of the chorus. Ryan Pidgen, Adam Pendrich, Benjamin Bond, Rachel Ensor, Nicola Martin, and Melanie Brown are the sticking tape holding this show together.
 

Morphic Graffiti, Part 29 and an appearance by a seagull.

So it’s nearly bed time on Monday of our second week of rehearsals and ….wait! what!! Week 2?! Where on earth did week one go? Time is flying by here in Sherlock land. But everyone is working at a pace and pushing themselves in every way possible to get the show ready for our opening night on April 10th!

Where to begin with the workload! Well, let’s start with all things design based. Costume fittings are becoming a daily thing with some stunning work being built from scratch. I’ll admit I was surprised to see Nicola in an entirely cream ensemble, and was then told this was the basis for the costume to make it fit before the actual fabric was cut and stitched! Makes complete sense now I know but for a second it seemed that Stewart had missed his own design brief of ‘colourful and vibrant’.

I was very lucky to pop down and see Stewart, Mike and Gareth at our workshop and, yes, I even picked up a paintbrush and aided in some scenic painting! The set is looking beautiful. Some extremely clever touches going in (I would like to note that I painted the sign to 221b and no it wasn’t on the Baker Street front door!!) and Chrissie, Lizzie, Nik and all the team working on it are truly talented individuals. My favourite bit so far is the seagull (Sherlock, Mystery, London, Seagull ????????)

Meanwhile, back at Hoxton Hall, not even a day away at a different venue, to allow Downton Abbey to film, has stopped the incredible amount of work being done. Lee, Anthony and Nicola have been drilling the dance steps with some quite astonishing results. I don’t think our cast knew quite what they had let themselves in for before we started! The music, the choreography and the cast are really starting to have fun with this crazy ‘Music Hall’ setting and this will grow and grow! Our aim is to have a very rough stagger through by the middle of rehearsals. Oh crikey that’s next week!!!!! AArrgghhhhhh!!

A special mention to Caris and Ina our Stage Management team who have been running an extremely tight ship. They are both exceptional at what they do and, like everyone, have thrown themselves into the project head first. Last week we asked to start looking into Moriarty’s sword stick so that we could find one in time for the show. Less than twenty four hours later we have a replica of the one used by Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter as a ‘rehearsal prop’ and not only that, but a fully operational violin for when we get to it!! I wish I could get that organised.

We are loving being at Hoxton Hall for rehearsals. I find myself popping into the theatre for a minute or two on a break just to work out something or imagine a moment. Anyone who does not know the venue, it is simply stunning and the second you step inside, you really feel something unique and heart warming. I’m not going to lie that the time we have for the ‘get in’ (when all the technical bits and set arrive and get put up) is probably going to raise my blood pressure a little as everything comes to fruition, but we aim to be as ready as possible when we leave the rehearsal room in three weeks time (gulp!!)

Talking of rehearsals, here’s a few pics from week 1 at Hoxton Hall:

A bit of musical note bashing!

Now what do these two have to do with Sherlock Holmes?!

Yes that will be our Sherlock and Watson and yes it will be a very..serious..piece ?!?

There is something so fascinating about taking on a piece that is not ‘set’ out with beautifully arranged scores and scripts all ready to just ‘stage’. Even now, things are being tweaked, reworked and crafted. Be it a costume design, a staged moment, a character’s thought or even the logistics of how a huge bit of set is meant to clear in four seconds, there is never a dull moment. With everyone working the find the best in every moment on stage and to make this show the best it can be, it is an incredibly exciting time and with that I shall say bon nuit!

P.S (As I drift off to the land of nod, don’t forget to book your tickets early to avoid disappointment!) x

Morphic Graffiti, Part 28 and the team gets ever bigger!

It has been a month long process and an intricate puzzle that we have had to try and put together piece by piece but we have our cast! They are collectively an extremely talented bunch who blew us away in auditions and will bring this crazy music hall world and Sherlock Holmes tale to life!

Leading man, Tim Walton, will be playing the title role. Tim is a leading West End actor with credits that include Matilda, Love Never Dies, Wicked and most recently Kiss Me Kate at the Old Vic. Joining him will be John Cusworth (Mamma Mia, Blood Brothers) as his sidekick Dr. Watson, Amanda Goldthorpe-Hall (The Phantom of the Opera, The Sound of Music) as the villainous Mrs Moriarty, Leonie Heath (Scrooge, Babes in Arms) as Bella Spellgrove, Andrea Miller (Jekyll and Hyde, Gays the Word) as the ill-suffering Mrs Hudson and Stephen Leask (The Secret Garden, Potted Panto) as Inspector Lestrade.

The cast also includes Benjamin Bond (Mamma Mia), Melanie Brown (Jesus Christ Superstar), Rachel Ensor (Cats, Dirty Dancing), Nicola Martin (Boy Meets Boy), Adam Pendrich (Jubilee) and Ryan Pidgen (Billy Elliot, Lend Me a Tenor).

As with Jekyll and Hyde, Luke and Stewart take on the same roles as Director and Designer respectively. While we are announcing everything, the full creative team includes Huw Evans (Musical Director), Stewart Charlesworth (Set & Costume Designer), Lee Proud (Choreographer) and Michael England (Orchestrator). Illusions are by Thomas Moore with puppets by Billy Achilleos. Catherine Webb is lighting designer (after her stunning work on Jekyll) and we have been priveliged to work with Anne Vosser who has helped us bring together such an incredible cast!

Phew! The list is endless with some incredible work behind the scenes. Billie and her puppet team are working hard to build beautiful life-like creations for the show – even moulding and sculpting faces to mirror those of certain cast members!! Our Wardrobe Supervisor, Xye Appleton and her team of costumiers have been measuring, cutting and planning the costumes. With in excess of fifty costumes that is no mean feat!!

Not just that, but the set is in full swing and being constructed and painted at our workshop. Nik Carroll, a stunning scenic artist and designer in his own right, and Lizzie Lodge, another equally beautiful artiste, have been working on the Dore inspired set pieces:

Our marketing team are having regular meetings. Lauren McGee (our Marketing Manager extraordinaire) continues to impress with her research and ideas. Steve Coats-Dennis is pulling together our online presence and keeping the social media growing and developing. Expect a lot more as we head towards rehearsals on the 11th March!! A big shout out to Mike Fraga too who is doing everything and more to make sure our artwork, posters and website are not only up to date, but are the right size and look amazing for all our marketing and online needs.

The workload is crazy and continues to grow. It’s only when typing it out you realise the enormity of the undertaking and the incredible team that is working to make this production the best it can possibly be! Thank you everyone!

If you are thinking of booking tickets, I would urge you to start to choose a date! Tickets are starting to go and it’s still only February!!

Morphic Graffiti, Part 27 and rather a lot of meetings!

It’s blog time again. Another little update into the world of Morphic Graffiti and the work going on behind the scenes with The Revenge of Sherlock Holmes!

The themes this week are “the meeting” and “the endless coffee pot” as we catch-up with the incredible team behind the project. I think I may be a caffeine addict (he says with a rather large Americano to his left as he types and sweats at the same time!). The show has so many component parts simultaneously running alongside each other that, as producers, we are keeping everyone in the loop as best we can!

Last week was audition week with auditions being held at the gorgeous Hoxton Hall. Thanks everyone involved. It was an epic week and we were blown away with what we saw (at one point nearly literally when one performer pulled out a toy pistol in his audition). Many who came had never seen the hall before and could not believe that such a stunning venue was ‘off the radar’. We very much intend to put that right!

Full casting will be announced in due course as Anne ties things up (rather spectacularly – thanks Anne!) but know that the cast is shaping up to be something rather special indeed. We had a dream and that was exceeded and then some by the extremely talented ladies and gentlemen of the British stage who are on board! Keep posted.

So we are now into February and by our Sherlock calendars, everything is Go Go Go!! Having just come from a marketing meeting, our strategies are in place. We have some cheeky surprises coming so get booking now! We open in 9 weeks (oh crikey!) which feels like forever away, but believe me it isn’t!

Another job this week has been to start pulling together information for the programme. I could not believe the number of names working on this project already. It is well over 30, all of whom are at the top of their game. In fact, I will see if we can’t do a little ‘expose’ on them for this blog and the facebook page so you can get a real feel for the show from their points of view!!

The set design is in the process of being signed off, materials being ordered and our scenic artist team are itching to get their hands on it. Costume makers are being given fabric and designs with strict instructions to not let the cat out of the bag. One costume is being made in such away that it will literally leave the audience in awe. I would love to write about it, but Stewart would then have to kill me – it’s that top secret!!
We have a new member of the production team, Billie Achilleos, an absolutely stunning designer and creator of puppets. She and her team are working on some sequences for the show that will be taking the Victorian theme to a whole new level. We hope to have some photos soon of the puppets to show you the incredible detail of Billie’s work.

With regards the actual show, we are still exploring moments and working with Leslie Bricusse on the new material that is being added. The brand new songs by the Oscar winning composer/writer work beautifully with the existing material and it is incredibly exciting for us as such a new company to be working with Leslie.

Stewart, Lauren (our marketing manager) and I have been submerging ourself in the crazy and varied world of the Great Detective and even managed a little stop off at the Sherlock Holmes Museum:

What was that show we are doing Stewart?

You can probably tell by my tone that I am getting just a little bit excited (and believe me it takes a lot for that to happen) but it is so humbling to be seeing the work in every area to make the show the best it can be. Yes its nine weeks away, but this is my elbow giving a gentle nudge. You will not want to miss it!

Luke

Morphic Graffiti, Part 26 and the dancing mice!

It’s time for another blog update! Where are the weeks going? Not that we are counting but we open in 11 weeks! Sounds like plenty of time but, with the number of different production elements to balance at the same time, it really isn’t! Mind you, when does any production ever have enough time? So on that slightly calming thought, I shall give you a little update.

Casting is imminently imminent. Anne is doing sterling work organising auditions and assisting us with the mammoth task of finding our cast. Not only are we bringing this brand new Sherlock Holmes tale to life, but we have the added complications of being set in Victorian Music Hall where the term ‘Variety’ was very much born. Cue the all dancing, all singing, magical, acrobatic actors who can take this piece to the next level and create something very special indeed! We are so excited by the response and cannot wait to find our cast. If it is anything near the standard and talent that we were blessed with on Jekyll, we will be in safe hands.

Talking of dancing, I should mention on here that Lee Proud is choreographing the show for us. Lee’s credits include the sensational Mack and Mabel at the Southwark Playhouse last year and we are beyond thrilled that he is going to be on board HMS Holmes!

The music department continues on with some incredible work behind the scenes. We are sourcing some amazing costume makers to bring Stewart’s designs to fruition. If I was to describe the costume designs in 2 words they would be ‘fantastical’ and ‘intricate’. I shall see if we can get maybe an image or two on to the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/sherlockhoxton – please like!) In some ways the traditional world of Sherlock Holmes is there, but with a suitable Victorian twist!

Talking of the Facebook page, we have already a clue as to the set design that is going on. More will be given as we get closer to April 10th (gulp!) I saw the set model up for the first time two nights ago (it had previously been in basic white card format) and it is looking beautiful. However, unless we cast mice to sing and dance on it, the set model is only the start of the set journey. As we head towards the end of January, the set model is going to be drawn out as 2-D plans ready for construction. We also have to work out things like storage, weight of the set, props, supports….the list is endless! Hoxton Hall is a Grade 2 listed building and as such, NOTHING can be drilled, stapled or screwed into its historic structure. A set designers dream eh Stewart?!

As we move into February we start to push more of the marketing ideas that we have been developing. We plan to spread the word that Sherlock is coming to Hoxton in a variety of ways, some very obvious, some (in keeping) are a bit mysterious and some are downright bizarre (in a very Music Hall kind a way!!) This year is the 150th Anniversary of Hoxton Hall. It was designed and built specifically as a Music Hall so to be bringing this type of production feels even more special.

As well as the physical production, we are forging links within our Morphic Education strand and looking at linking the history of Hoxton and its Music Hall heritage with young people in the area. Hopefully, by the next blog we can bring you more info as Morphic Education is still in its infancy but will become a very important part of what Morphic Graffiti does.

That’s about it for now. I won’t bore you with the lesser interesting things like organising Insurance, budgets and light bulbs! Oh the glamour! I’m off outside to play in the snow!

#sherlockhoxton

Morphic Graffiti, Part 25 and the Magical Wizards of Hoxton

So Happy New Year! (he types on the 11^th January) when Christmas and New Year seem forever ago and we are all back to work! I hope that all our blog readers had a chance to enjoy something of the festivities. We certainly did here at Morphic Towers with some very lovely friends purchasing ‘Sherlock Holmes’ inspired gifts. I can’t think why?!!!

We wanted to start with a quick thank you to Mark Shenton who put Jekyll and Hyde in his theatre highlights of 2012 in The Stage. We were so chuffed to be mentioned. A great end to an incredible first year for Morphic Graffiti. Thank you all for the continued support.

Anyone who has seen our Facebook group yesterday will have seen that the marketing material arrived. We are now officially on paper. Woop woop! A massive thank you to Tony at Paper Hat for organising our printing. These will start to be distributed around Hoxton and other areas (basically anywhere where they will have us) so look out for them!

Talking of Facebook, we have a new look Facebook page devoted to Sherlock. The computer whizz Steve Coats-Dennis is in charge of this (and our twitter feed @sherlockhoxton)  and has created a purpose built page for all things related to the production. Don’t panic – the website and the blog will all continue as normal, but we now have a dedicated resource for videos, photos and all the goss on getting the show up and running!

Check it out and click ‘LIKE’ to join in all the craziness that is coming: www.facebook.com/sherlockhoxton

So what else is happening? In a huge first for Morphic Graffiti we have, on board, a genius in the world of magic. Thomas Moore (hereafter referred to as wizarding royalty or his proper Victorian name of ‘”Ingenieur de la prestiditation) is our Magic Consultant and is bringing the realm of Victorian magic and stage craft into the show. Thomas has worked around the world bring illusions to crazy ideas to life and after our very first meeting has incredible ideas for The Revenge of Sherlock Holmes!

What is really exciting with regards the magic, is the planning behind all the tricks. Thomas has taken the ideas and is working with Stewart’s design to create the maximum impact and illusion. When you come and see the show and think ‘how did they do that?’ you will know that that one moment has been months in the planning!! Unfortunately I cannot divulge anything whatsoever connected with the tricks. One, it would ruin the surprise and two, even the producers don’t quite know how they happen. But be warned, they are going to be incredible!

As with Jekyll and Hyde, music department meetings are continuing with plans in place for the new orchestrations and the overall ‘sound’ of the show. We have a five piece band and are working on creating a distinctive Victorian feel that brings Leslie Bricusse’s songs to life. What with the music and now the magic elements, we are certainly getting closer to our “More Victoriana Than Prince Albert Could Handle!” that is our tag line on the poster!!

What else to fill our blog readers in on? So much! Casting is in process. Anne Vosser is working her magic and in charge of helping us cast Sherlock Holmes. We are thrilled to have her expertise on board to help us find our cast of twelve. Auditions are taking place right at the end of January but the response to the casting breakdowns has been very exciting indeed and thank you anyone and everyone who has expressed interest!

We are on the right track! Plenty still to do and lots of hurdles to jump but we are incredibly excited. So much is happening and soon we will have visuals to show and maybe even a video or two. Spread the word that Sherlock is coming to London!! #SherlockHoxton