Fourplay presents NOW was the inaugural edition of the festival, held in a secret location in Belleville, Paris in November 2015.
The Artwork
The poster artwork was a collaboration between photographer/graphic designer George Sydney and contemporary dancer Tillie Ridge. The resulting images are an interpretation of the four props, captured as fluid graphics.
Illustrator Alexander James Wood also created an image of the four props, which was used in the run-up to the show.
George Sydney took photographs of the live event
The Props
This initial iteration of the show saw playwrights respond to four randomly selected objects: a clock, a crate, a stool and a set of keys.
The Plays
The following plays/wrights were selected,
with the cast listed below each show:
Give it Back… Give NOW Back!
written and directed by Peter Brown
Art glutton, Lonepants, is against Pierrette, one of his manor’s maids, dating his daughter. In an attempt to get back at him, Pierrette and her brother break into the mansion to steal Lonepants’ most highly valued possession: “NOW”. A farce derived from Les Enfants du Paradis and the Commedia dell’arte, watch as Lonepants discovers the true meaning of materialism.
Starring
Clara Bethannan
Stine Korsgaard
Ivan du Pontavice
Rebecca Smith
About the writer
Peter Brown first started writing to amuse himself with witty poetic provocations on goodbye cards for people he didn’t like. At the handsome age of twenty-three he wrote a novella and coughed his lungs out as he burnt it over the kitchen sink. The next book he wrote was so experimental he wasn’t able to read it himself without getting stomach ache. Four wasted years on an art project was only the beginning, and he threw himself into further mindless ventures, and needless to say, his friends and family have long since given up on him. He hopes to redeem the ultimate pointlessness of the universe by succeeding in a theatre festival.
Losing It
written and directed by Emma Phillips
A dystopian future where a deadly disease spread by a pharmaceutical company is wiping out the population. The only people unaffected by the epidemic are virgins, two of whom are our main characters. With only two short meetings to decide whether or not they’re going to join the new world order’s re-population programme, we follow our protagonists through their process.
Starring
Maria
Ellie
Joshua Stretton – winner of Best Actor
About the writer
Emma Phillips is a translator who lives in Paris. She wakes up absurdly early to read the morning news on an English language radio station before beginning her day job at the French Military. This is her second short play to be performed.
Korine Keychain and the Lost Time, Elsewhere Titled ‘Plutocracy’
written by T S J H, directed by Alice Brace
Korine Keychain is fed up with life. Her 9 to 5 job gives her no inspiration, and the commute is hell. She prays for escape. Unfortunately she prays palms down, and it is Pluto, God of the Underworld, who hears her plea…
Starring
Tom Briggs
Eleanor Dickinson
Stacey Legendre
Reka Polo
Francesca Reece
About the writer
T S J H is a bookseller who in a previous life worked as a whisky taster. He has performed in a number of plays on the Paris expat circuit where he discovered even more alcohol than he had found in the whisky industry. T studied Classics at university, and his grounding in ancient mythology and drama has been a great influence on his writing, because why think ideas up for yourself when you can pinch them off a dead Greek?
The Man of the Moment
written by Oliver Neck and Matt Zeqiri, directed by Sarah – winners of Best Play
After a series of failed science experiments, Dr Oetker strikes again. This time, he does the impossible: he creates life… only his monster has just fifteen minutes to live. What will it do with such a fleeting life span?
Starring
Oliver Neck
Matt Zeqiri
About the writers
Oliver Neck and Matt Zeqiri met in 2002 on the Soho Theatre’s young writers scheme, and have been writing comedy together since 2008. They have worked with Objective Productions, the BBC and Cartoon Network, and are currently developing original television comedies with the BBC and Buccaneer Media.
The Event
A huge thank you the countless people who took a punt on this creative experiment!
A special thanks are in order for our host, Peter Deaves, who allowed us to transform his apartment into a theatre for the weekend, and then played live music into the wee small hours after Fourplay: the Climax. And to Katie Newens, who cooked a sensational vegan tagine for Dinner and Fourplay.
Thank you also to Milly Unwin, head of box office at Pleasants Theatre and judge of Best Play, and Ecole Jacques Lecoq student Emily Read who had the tough job of judging the Best Actor award this year.
It literally would not have been able to happen were it not for our dedicated team of volunteers, who made sure that the bar, coats, doors and plays ticked over smoothly!
fourplaytheatre.com 