Mon 14 February 2011 to Mon 14 February 2011
ARP presents Brian Woolland & Bryan Robinson
Writer and Director Brian Woolland and Musician Bryan Robinson explore the process of writing, rehearsing and presenting the play Stand and Fall with a cast of inmates from Winchester Prison and Students from Winchester University.
Taking Place: Richard Hamilton Building RHB115
This is the first in a series of events promoted by ARP (Arts Research Practice) an interdisciplinary research group based in the School of Arts & Humanities.
The presentation will focus on the processes of writing, rehearsing and presenting the play Stand or Fall which was premiered in Winchester Prison in April 2008 with a cast of 12 male prisoners and students from the University of Winchester. The play was written and directed by Brian Woolland with original songs and musical direction by Bryan Robinson.
The presentation will include:
- An account of and discussion about the theatre workshops that informed the writing of the play
- A discussion of the rehearsal methods used in encouraging and enabling prisoners who perceive themselves as non-performers and non-musicians to participate in a stage production and to sing and to dance in public
- Short extracts from a DVD recording of the production and a documentary film made about its development – with commentary and discussion on both
- Live music
- Reflective discussion on the constraints, opportunities and implications of working in a prison environment.
The final half hour of the presentation will be given over to an open discussion of issues raised.
Bryan Robinson is a highly accomplished musician and teacher of music in a wide variety of contexts. He is currently recording a new solo album. He has worked as musical director and composer for numerous prison theatre productions, including: Oh, What a Lovely War!, King Ubu, Stand or Fall, The Convicts Opera and The Government Inspector.
Brian Woolland was a Senior Lecturer in Theatre at the University of Reading before resigning his post in 2005 to pursue a career as a freelance writer and theatre director. His first novel, Dead in the Water, was published in July 2010.