Dirty Work at the Crossroads by Bill Johnson, abridged & adapted by Joan Nordlund

A tale of passion, murder, deceit and intrigue involving the usual suspects: the gullible widow, the innocent daughter, the faithful admirer, the hired help, the dastardly villain, ‘she who will have her revenge’, and the Asterbilts of Fremington Manor. But where does Little Nell fit in?

Guardian Demon by Zoë Chandler

The eternal battle between Good and Evil has not disrupted Adam’s sheltered existence - until now, when it’s brought to disturbing life by the angelic and demonic voices whispering into his brain. But visits to his beautiful yet troubled therapist Eve bring nothing but complications.

Men Defenders! by Oana Velcu

When every day overwhelms the lonely Alexios with yet more evidence that women are seizing power, mathematical equations no longer suffice. This dedicated researcher needs help to stop the atrocity! But how will his friends react to his plans?

Performances

May 3rd at 6 p.m.
May 4th at 5 p..m
May 10th at 6 p.m.
May 11th at 5 p.m.

Performances will be held at The Finnish-British Society, Fredrikinkatu 20 A, Helsinki

Tickets €6 for the triple bill.

This seasons Poetry & Jazz performances, under the theme of ‘nature’, will be held on March 19 & 26 and April 2 in Café Engel (Aleksanterinkatu 26) at 8PM. Free entrance.

Office workers Dympie, the neurotic control freak, and happy-go-lucky Paula hit their local watering hole every Friday evening to unwind. They drink a few glasses of wine, and watch the local band. On this particular evening, the pair takes pity on their recently widowed colleague Monika and invite her along. Gordon, a bit of a loser whose wife has just left him, and Stephen, a Neanderthal who’s simply out for a one-night stand sit at an adjacent table. After Dinner unveils the vulnerability of the human condition, exposing the foibles, pain, and humour of the characters’ inner lives.

Directed by Anna Kauppila, After Dinner was written by acclaimed Australian playwright and screenwriter Andrew Bovell. This classic Aussie comedy was first produced in Melbourne, then in various theatres across Ireland the UK. Now it arrives in Finland for the first time, brought to you by the Finn-Brit Players, one of the awesomest English language theatre group based in Helsinki. With After Dinner the group continues to perform fresh and innovative theatre, both classical and contemporary.

The show premieres at Helsinki’s renowned Koko Teatteri (Unioninkatu 45) on Saturday 22nd March, and continues its run at Teatteri Narri (Hietaniemenkatu 9) on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th April.

Starring Angie Hämäläinen, Mira Fitzpatrick, Amanda Thurman, Jarrad Dowd and Matti Keltanen.

Produced by Steve Porter. Stage managed by Agnieszka Flak.
Showtimes

Koko Teatteri, Unioninkatu 45
22nd March @ 2pm & 7pm

Teatteri Narri, Hietaniemenkatu 9
12th April @ 2pm & 7pm, 13th April @ 2pm

Tickets are €9 (€6 concessions - members, students, pensioners etc.

Ticket bookings are closed, but as of closing time there was still capacity in the Saturday 12th 2pm show—welcome to try at the door!

Thanks to:

Submission forms are available online:

For Finn-Brit Players members (Microsoft Word .doc) (.rtf file)
For other theatre groups (Microsoft Word .doc) (.rtf file)

Should you or your company wish to submit one or more plays to the festival, please fill out the form for each entry electronically and send to jack at finnbritplayers.com by 16 May 2008. However, if you plan to submit an entry, the organising team would appreciate an advance notification of interest before this deadline.

When submitting a play, please note the following:
- The play must be in English.
- The duration of the play should be between approximately 30 and 60 minutes. Plays clearly much shorter or longer than this will not be considered.
- For other groups than the Finn-Brit Players: it is up to each company to secure performance rights for their entry. We therefore urge companies to make sure rights are available before submitting a play. Proof of having a license to perform will be required before the actual festival, but not at the submission stage. Plays outside copyright (i.e. the author has been dead at least 70 years) and original material are also welcome. (Players’ shows’ rights are handled by the festival organizing team.)
- Also for groups other than the Players: there will be an entry fee of €20 for each play accepted for the festival. This fee will be waived should someone from the submitting group take part in the organising of the festival, either backstage, front of house or administration.

In contrast to previous festivals, this year FELT IF will run over three days. Our plan is to give each individual play at least two performance slots, possibly more, depending on the number of entries. Due to these constraints, the number of entries for the festival may have to be limited. Should it be necessary to limit the number of plays, the choice of which entries to include will be up to the discretion of the organising team. However, we will do our most to accommodate at least one play from each submitting group. We will announce which plays have been accepted for the festival by 1 June 2008.

In addition to the performance dates, the venue is booked for festival use also on 4-5 November. During this time, each play will receive a slot to perform a technical rehearsal. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, it will most probably not be possible to organise full dress rehearsals at the venue. We also request that when choosing a play for the festival, avoid plays with many scene changes, complicated sets, special effects or other technically challenging aspects. Basic set pieces (table, chairs) will be provided by the organisers, but props, costumes and any other set pieces must be provided by each performing group. We will have someone stage managing, running lights and sound, but should a play require special lighting or sound cues or scene changes, we strongly recommend that such plays have their own people to cue lights/sound and handle set changes.

We sincerely hope that your group will participate in this third festival of English-language theatre in Finland and help make this an event to remember.

On behalf of the Finn-Brit Players,

FELT IF 2008 organising team
Contact Jack Leo: jack at finnbritplayers.com, 050 384 6740

p.s. for an historical perspective, we have preserved web pages for earlier festivals:

FELT IF 2003

FELT IF 2004

- saturday, january 26: annual general meeting

yes. it’s time for our yearly debate club! this is your chance to make a difference, maybe even stand for committee.

at finnbrit, freda 20, from 6 p.m. members will receive an official invitation in the post.
- the next play reading will be in february. details later.

- the main event of the spring season will be a comedy:

After Dinner

by Andrew Bovell

The scene is a suburban pub bistro on Friday night. Three office workers – Dympie, who needs to control everything, Paula who lets her, and the recently widowed Monika, are desperately seeking for a good night out. At an adjoining table sit Gordon, recently abandoned by his wife, and Stephen, looking for something more than the usual one night stand. As the night proceeds, inhibitions and social restraint are abandoned, exposing the foibles, pain and humour of the characters’ inner lives. It is an acutely observed but tender-hearted account of relationships and behaviour.

Andrew Bovell is an Australian playwright and his comedy After Dinner has enjoyed over 20 productions first in Australia following New Zealand, England and Ireland. This will be the first time the play has been performed in Finland.

Directed by Anna Kauppila and produced by Steve Porter.

performances on March 22 and April 12 & 13 - more information later.

in addition, there will be a 3-piece production spun off from Drama Incubator workshops:

‘Dirty Work at the Crossroads’ by Bill Johnson,
abridged & adapted by Joan Nordlund
A Victorian melodrama – curses on the villain and
cheers for the heroine!

‘Guardian Demon’ by Zoë Chandler
A comedy – guardian angel versus inner demon.

‘Men Defenders!’ by Oana Velcu
A comedy drama – are women taking over the world?

performances will be held in May 2008. more information later.

and naturally, we’ll have a round of Poetry & Jazz this season too. there will be an initial meeting for all who are interested in participating, at 8 p.m. on jan 23, at finnbrit. performances march 19 and 26, and april 2.

Directed by Anna Kauppila and produced by Steve Porter.

If the 2nd Dec is problematic for many who would like to audition, we might be able to hold a second audition. Also, if you would like to audition on a previous performance, please contact Steve at steve@finnbritplayers.com.

Auditions are open to everyone, old faces and new, so don’t be shy and get involved!

Date: Sunday 2 December, 3pm
NOTE change of time, not 1:30pm as previously stated. Doors are open 3pm-7pm, please arrive by 6pm at the latest.
Place: FINNBRIT, Fredrikinkatu 20A

The man was born 250 years ago and still infuriates and exhilarates. “The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom”. One of his many slogans taken up by the rock and literary generation of the 1960s against what they saw as layer upon layer of establishment oppression.

Don’t rely on what you’re told; make your own mistakes, and learn from them. If you don’t develop your own system you will be forced to live under someone else’s - forced to defend a lie.

That 60s generation was quoting a man who lived 200 years before them, whose words were still as challenging and relevant as in his very turbulent lifetime.
As are his astonishing and groundbreaking illustrations. Politics, sexuality, religion, the human mind, all came under his penetrating gaze.

William Blake (1757-1827) was unique - one of England’s most influential, controversial, and fiery tempered poets and artists. “Jerusalem” from his epic “Milton” has become a sort of unofficial national anthem. “The Tyger” is said to be the most reprinted poem in English. And many of his engravings continue to emerge on rock band album covers. His mysticism still fascinates and enthrals and he is particularly revered by the artistic community.

Yet in his lifetime he was feared, considered mad, or simply overlooked. A phenomenal visionary who “saw” angels and spoke to the dead, he toiled his entire life to break free of the drudgery of the mundane into the universe of the mind and soul. If ever there was a Working Class Hero it was William Blake.
“To see a world in a grain of sand…” The imagination of the human mind was his only religion.
To commemorate the 250th anniversary of his birth The Finn-Brit Players present Mr & Mrs Blake, a play originally written to accompany an exhibition of his engravings in Helsinki in 2000. It is an attempt to shed some light on his life and times and what must have been a remarkable relationship with his wife, Catherine.

“He whose face gives no light shall never become a star.”

–

Mr & Mrs Blake, a play by Joe White on the life and times of the visionary poet and artist William Blake. Performances November 29th, 30th and December 1st at 19.00h at FINNBRIT (Fredrikinkatu 20 A 9).

Tickets 6 euros, from the venue.

At FINNBRIT (Fredrikinkatu 20 A 9), from 7 pm.

Welcome!

time: Sunday Oct 7 1pm-3pm
place: Narinkkatori, the square in front of the Kamppi center
bring: self, family, kids, other assorted hooligans

read more about it at FINNBRIT’s site:
http://www.finnbrit.fi/events.html#rnd

see you there!

This autumn’s Poetry & Jazz takes place on three consecutive Wednesdays on 3, 10 and 17 October, at 8PM. Café Engel, Aleksanterinkatu 26. Free entry. Bring a friend.

Welcome!

Written and directed by Zoë Chandler

English explorers on a 17th century voyage of discovery in the Caribbean encounter mystery, murder and - what else but – pirates!

After the discovery of a curious new flower, the already tense relationships between individual crewmembers, not to mention relations with the islanders and local pirates, reach a deadly climax.

How will those left alive deal with what they have done?

Jonathan Hutchings as Captain Scarisbrick

Cast

Bruno Duréault, Fredrika Fellman, Angie Hämäläinen, Jonathan Hutchings, Kaisla Kajava, Jack Leo, Perttu Lipsanen, Irina Mikkola, Lari Noresvuo, Steve Porter, Fabien Rapin, Ramona Teinilä, Oana Velcu

Crew

Director: Zoë Chandler
Producers: Arabella David & Oana Velcu
Production Assistant: Joan Nordlund
Stage Manager: Sean McLoughlin
Fight choreography: Guy Windsor, School of European Swordsmanship
Original music/sound: Matthew Wooller
Costumes: Zoë Chandler & Joan Nordlund
Set & Props: Stewart Gray, Steve Porter & David Rogers
Publicity: Matti Keltanen

Irina Mikkola as Anacoana

Performances

Vernissa Hall, Tikkurilantie 36, Tikkurila, Vantaa (right opposite the Tikkurila railway station)

Friday November 16th at 7 p.m.
Saturday November 17th at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Sunday November 18th at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets 8€ (5€ concessions, groups of 10 or more)

Tickets will go on sale in mid-October. Booking details available then.

Steve Porter as Hugh Brunswood

About the author

Zoë Chandler is a regular on the Finn-Brit Players scene. When not in the theatre, Zoë can frequently be found performing her work at Poetry & Jazz or leading sessions on writing and drama skills. In addition, being a philosopher and trained swordswoman has put her in a unique position to forge a play on 17th century exploration and swashbuckling. At other times, Zoë does battle with her cats and sharpens her skills as a Facebook pirate.

We are grateful to the School of European Swordsmanship for their assistance.

Learn swordsmanship with Guy Windsor at the School of European Swordsmanship. The next beginner’s course in Helsinki will start on October 2nd 2007. See the school website for more details.

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Led by Jack Leo, Friday August 24, 7 pm at FINNBRIT, Fredrikinkatu 20 A 9.

See you there!

See you soon!

Looking forward to seeing you there. Welcome!

(quick reminder: the shows will run from this week’s Friday for a week and a day, so now would be a great time to book if you haven’t yet)

More information on submitting a proposal here.