Tuning Out With Radio Z

It’s appropriate that Radio Z asks more questions than it answers. I’ve expended hundreds of words on it and I haven’t really gotten on to those sleeping people, or the moment I realised that there was a retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice going on, or on my take about what the show was about (I’m not saying exactly what this is because I think everyone should be able to make their own version, using their imagination as well as their phones – but I will say that the clue is in the title). I haven’t written about how interesting I found watching what the director chose to publish on the forum or the fact that though you were allowed to come in and out of the performance I sat through all three hours without once feeling the need to move. I haven’t even written about fear or joy or pain, all of which Radio Z evoked for me.

Corinne Furness

Original Programme Notes

Devised and Improvised by:
Amanda Hadingue & Craig Stephens
(Graeme Rose & Bernadette Russell replaced Amanda for various performances)

Direction & Off-Stage Improvisation:James Yarker
Sound, Station Branding and Software:Jon Ward
Lighting Design & Improvisation:Paul Arvidson
VJ Consultancy: Liam D’Authreau
Show Photography:Various Artists
Production Photos: Graeme Braidwood
Set Construction: A E Harris (Birmingham Ltd.)
Graphic design: Simon Ford
Production Assistants: Esther Belvis Pons, Diego Alejandro de la Vega Wood
General Manager: Charlotte Martin
Advisory Producer: Nick Sweeting
With thanks to: everyone at home, at the office, at Rhubarb Radio and at mac for keeping the faith.

Tuning Out With Radio Z is a MAC commission.

Programme Notes.
I don’t normally hold with extensive programme notes as I believe shows should be able to speak for themselves. Here, however, in order for you to get the most from the show, there are some things it would be good for you to know in advance, so here are some notes.

Your Contribution.
This show is improvised so there is space in it for your contributions. There are three ways to submit writing and ideas:Please leave your mobile phones ON, turn them to silent and text in short contributions to: 07896 592515Contribute On-line via the newsroom at www.radioz.co.uk, where you can compose longer contributions, respond to requests for material and see what other people are submitting. mac’s open wireless network is available for you to go online and the venue’s New Media suite is at your disposal with friendly assistanceif you don’t have a wireless device with you.e-mail if you can get online but for some reason don’t fancy the News Room, you can email news@radioz.co.uk.

Why Improvisation?
Improvisation is a technique we use regularly in private to test out ideas and generatematerial for new shows. Over the years I have been privileged to sit as solitary witness to many, many hours of improvisation. These improvisations are always experiment and, as with all experiments, sometimes they succeed and sometimes they don’t. Usually you learnsomething, and occasionally you witness a transcendental moment when something sparks anda breathtaking, illuminating theatrical phenomenon occurs. Unfortunately, it is always more difficult to capture these moments and repeat them in a show than it is to create them in the first place. Often I have wished there was an audience in the rehearsal roomto share this excitement with. Now we have made the improvisation the show. Tonight you are sure to see small-scale experiments succeeding and failing. We hope that you consider this show-scale experiment a success, or at the very least an enjoyable failure.

Each of these three mac shows is themed. The themes are known in advanceso the performers can do some thinking, but beyond this everything is improvised.

Why So Long?
We don’t want this show to be watched in a conventional way, so we have extended its duration to do away with conventional rhythms. In theory you can come and go as you please (and if you go home before it’s finished you can listen on to the conclusion via www.radioz.co.uk). In practice, we hope you stay forever – or at least until the end.

Other Things.
Please feel free to take photographs (without flash). You are welcome to sharethem on the web, but please do not post them whilst the show is running as we wish to reward you, the live audience, with exclusive access to the show’s visual material.
Please don’t shoot video of the show (theatre looks so RUBBISH on video).

Thanks for coming.

James Yarker, for Stan’s Cafe

Themes and Performance Teams

Lost: Amanda Hadingue & Craig Stephens
MAC, Birmingham 13th May, 2010 17:00 – 23:00 (doors open at 19:00)

Flood: Amanda Hadingue & Craig Stephens
MAC, Birmingham 14th May, 2010 19:00 – 01:00 (doors open at 21:00)

Shooting: Amanda Hadingue & Craig Stephens
MAC, Birmingham 15th May, 2010 17:00 – 23:00 (doors open at 19:00)

Escape: Amanda Hadingue & Craig Stephens
ArtsDepot, Finchley 8th October, 2010 19.30 – 22.30

Cure: Amanda Hadingue & Craig Stephens
ArtsDepot, Finchley 9th October, 2010 19.30 – 22.30

Revolution: Amanda Hadingue & Craig Stephens
Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry 14th October, 2010 19.30 – 22.30

Electricity: Amanda Hadingue & Craig Stephens
Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry 15th October, 2010 19.30 – 22.30

Luck: Amanda Hadingue & Craig Stephens
Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry 16th October, 2010 19.30 – 22.30

Fever: Amanda Hadingue & Craig Stephens
Tobacco Factory, Bristol 4th November, 2010 20.00 – 23.00

Fall: Amanda Hadingue & Craig Stephens
Tobacco Factory, Bristol 5th November, 2010 20.00 – 23.00

Sea: Amanda Hadingue & Craig Stephens
Tobacco Factory, Bristol 4th November, 2010 20.00 – 23.00

Ghost: Bernadette Russell & Craig Stephens
Leeds Met @ Northern Ballet, Leeds, 12th November, 2010 19.00 – 22.00

Freeze: Bernadette Russell & Craig Stephens
Studio Theatre, Chichester, 18th November, 2010 19.30 – 22.30

Flight: Graeme Rose & Craig Stephens
Burton Taylor Studio, Oxford Playhouse, Oxford, 29th March, 2011 19.00 – 22.00

Money: Graeme Rose & Craig Stephens
Burton Taylor Studio, Oxford Playhouse, Oxford, 30th March, 2011 19.00 – 22.00

Paranoia: Graeme Rose & Craig Stephens
@ AE Harris, Birmingham, 31st March, 2011 19.00 – 22.00

Fool: Bernadette Russell & Craig Stephens
@ AE Harris, Birmingham, 1st April, 2011 19.00 – 22.00

Earth: Bernadette Russell & Craig Stephens
Dartington, 14th April, 2011 19.00 – 22.00

Boarders: Amanda Hadingue & Craig Stephens
IFTR Conference, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry 29th July, 2014 19:45 – 21:45

“In a the middle of a hamstrung nation the calming voices of Craig and Amanda sooth us through three hours of bleak twilight before dawn breaks on a brave new world. Tuning Out With Radio Z is a prolonged and diaphanous experience which eerily looks at loss; a diluted journey where occasionally items of improvised and crafted brilliance spring out of the dullness of waiting. Intrigued in this monotony Stan’s Cafe include no interval in their marathon instead providing wristbands enabling you to take breaks, wittily stemming modern panic.”

Honor Bayes