After Midnight -- Before Dawn... but only after Hamlet!

So, what was next...

After Danse Macabre, it was November and I was wrecked tired. Fortunately, I got a nice little trip to New York that month and I got to see Hamlet performed by Jude Law at the Broadhurst Theatre, directed by Michael Grandage. I will admit, I was a bit prejudiced going in. I didn't think he was going to be any good. I thought it was going to be one of those occasions where they parachute in a barely literate 'celebrity' to put bums on seats. How very wrong I was. He was bloody fantastic and anytime he opened his mouth on stage I was utterly mesmerized. I've seen many performances of Hamlet, some abyssmal, some excellent but it's a testament to how much I love the play that I'll sit through anything just to see these words performed. Jude Law made it seem like I was watching it for the first time. I take my hat off to you sir, you're a fine performer.

(Here I am outside the theatre with my ticket. I really love Hamlet, I wanted evidence I was there and we going as a friend's birthday treat so it was extra nice!)

So, once I was home from New York and I'd had a rest over Christmas, 2010 rolled along and brought the snow with it on New Year's Eve. It was wasn' the best start to the year, but pretty soon there was work on the horizon. Keith Ward, one of the gang from Whiplash, had decided he wanted to have a go at directing, so he put together some actors he'd worked with before and produced a slightly adapted version of David Campton's After Midnigt -- Before Dawn in Smock Alley Studio under the banner of Silent Blade Productions. He directed us through a little Meisner technique and even added in a little snippet of Inuit throat singing at the opening of the show for a very atmospheric beginning. He was helped by Donncha O'Dea doing costumes, choreograhy and any else he could lend his deft hand to. It was one of the most interesting and enjoyable experiences I've had doing a show and I was delighted to come away with a lot of praise for my performance.

The photo above is of myself (seated) playing The Calm Woman in one of our dress rehearsals and Shannon Ryan playing The Neat Woman. The full cast included myself, Neil Fleming, Rob McDermott, Aoife Moore, Paul Nolan and Shannon Ryan.

Here's a link to a review of the piece and another one about half way down the page here which gives the following very complinmentary review of my performance. How nice to be called mesmerizing!

"The 6 actors onstage gave energetic if sometimes chaotic performances and with the level of activity onstage you really needed to be special to stand out. Nicole Elizabeth, as the devil worshipper who tempts the other characters, was mesmerizing, partly because she was the only stationary person onstage! She was very compelling and it was hard to pull your focus back to the other characters who were mostly running wildly around the stage muttering incoherently."

I've been bugging Keith to do this show again because we had a really minimalist set that could be brought anywhere, but he doesn't want to because he wants to be in it himself, rather than direct. Who could blame him, it was great fun to do!

Enjoy xxx
Nicole E

Danse Macabre...

Hello again! Back so soon, I hear you say? Well, I did promise I was going to update more often, so I am. The next project I have to fill you in on is Danse Macabre.

After we'd finished doing Spartacus: Highway to Hell in the Dublin Fringe, it was on to doing Danse Macabre in The Boy's School space in Smock Alley Theatre. Paul Burke gathered together some of his Whiplash crew and we rocked the house, onstage for a week long run during the week of Halloween, and this was only just over a month after finishing Spartacus!

I'd been working on this for months on the production end, filling out forms and doing up budgets so it was wonderful to finally get to do it. We were all a bit wrecked from just having done Spartacus, but we pulled it together nonetheless!

The Boy's School has such an amazing old brick wall running right up the middle of with gothic arches and different levels. It was perfect for a bit gothic horror performance for Halloween.

Here's one of the promotional shots we took of the cast. This one ended up being the poster. Featured here is yours truly as Lucy with Stephen Lynch playing Harker. I'm trying to affect a bored pout... I think I got it. As a side note, I got to design the poster (no, I didn't choose the image!), flyers and programmes, which was very enjoyable. I do love doing the graphics. It's not the first show I've done the artwork for.

Believe it or not, this image isn't photoshopped, nor is it a mistake where one image was superimposed over another on film. Even weirder, I'M actually the one who isn't there. This is a lovely little trick called Pepper's Ghost which we used in the show. Here I'm back from the dead as Lucy trying to tempt my fiancée the Doctor, played by Jonathan East... the only thing he has in mind for me though, is a stake throught the heart!

Here's the cast lined up at the end of the show for our curtain call. The shot was taken by one of our lovely audience members, Danielle Hayes. Left to right we have  Stephen Lynch as Harker, Shannon Ryan as Mina, Nicole Elizabeth as Lucy, Dave Farell as Renfield, Paul Burke as Goldaming, Anthony Morris as The Professor, Jonathan East as Doctor and Keith Ward as The Count.

And just for your entertainment here's the promotional video that Jonathan East made of the show. You get to see a little bit of the awesome tricks, stunts and sword fights that went on during show. Watch out for me doing Pepper's Ghost and levitating under the magical influence of the Count... with no strings or lifts, I swear!

Ah, reminiscing about this show brings back some lovely memories! I wish we could do it all again. I'll always remember it for some of the quickest full costume changes I've ever had to do, still pulling clothes, shoes, gloves and jewellry on as I run the length of a theatre, climb two flights of stairs and scramble up a backstage platform. Lucy Westenra leads an interesting life!

Enjoy xxx
Nicole E

Spartacus: Highway to Hell... after all this time, a few photos!

Jaysus, I'm dreadful. You know what it's like when you have a job to do, but the longer you leave it the more the work piles up, so you keep putting it off? Procrastination is opportunity's natural assassin. Whatever it is, just do it today, you'll feel better. Anyway, time to start catching up on the last 18 months of work I've been doing, like I promised I would back in September last year, and lied through my teeth and didn't... because I'm so busy and important (not!). I'm very naughty for not updating, and very silly too because if I don't write it all down, how will I remember what I've been up to?

Anyway, WAY in back in the day, I did a little show called Spartacus: Highway to Hell and it was fantastic! Written by Gavin Kostick, music and lyrics by Paul Burke and also directed by him, it was epic. Spartacus: The Musical! It was hard work putting it together but the packed out crowd of hundreds that came to see us for our one night only show made it so worth while.



So, there's me on the left of that front group in the shiny silver leggings and we're singing our little hearts out. The photo was taken by the lovely Steve Wilson who's often on hand to take shots of Whiplash shows. what I love about this one is that you can see some of the people in the audience. There's a few smiley faces there and you get a sense of the size of the crowd that continues all the way around to the left and right.



Here's me as lonely little Flavia, having a pensive moment while Spartacus, the love of my life sings about how maybe one day we'll get to settle down, have babies and get away from all the fighting and violence... Except that never happens because we die. Sad :(



I have to say, I love this shot. It was taken by a friend of mine just after the show. You can see the aftermath of Flavia's horrible death at the hands of Crassus. Very 'Disco Zombie' as a friend of mine of commented. I can't deny I'd had a lot of fun doing the show!

Well, that's the low down on Spartacus. Better late than never! It was a large but fantastic cast crew and we have to say thanks to Mary Weir in Dublin City Council for helping us along as she always does and for the space in the Civic Office Amphitheatre.

That's all for now. I WILL be updating over the next wee while to catch up, this time I promise! And I think I might do a small re-design. I've already added the 'Link Within' at the bottom of each post to give you ideas on other things I've been up to and I've added a feed from my twitter account on the right! I should, if I'm sensible, go off now and make a proper list, IN ORDER, of all the things I want to post because it'll help me organise my thoughts better... we shall see if I prove to be sensible!

Anyway, 2011 bring you an infinitly better year than 2010 did! With a new government in place today, I already feel hopeful!

Enjoy!
Nicole E xxx

In which I catch up on old times...

I am disgusted to see that I have not updated here in exactly one year and 7 seven days! It's not like there was nothing going on in that time. An awful lot has happened, but as always, in short burst of intensity and then suddenly nothing. I'm going to endeavour in the next few weeks to try and update you on a year's worth of work, but I may forget things. Oh well, that's what I get for neglecting my duties!

In the meantime, this is one the things I've been up to recently...



Here I am out at one of IFTA's In Conversation With... evenings where we had the pleasure of being entertained by Graham Linehan, creator of such well known and hilarious comedies as Father Ted and The It Crowd. Bill Tyson, on the left in this photo, Producer and Columnist for The Independent, invited me along as his guest. Unfortunately the two of us became so famished with hunger by the end of the evening that we didn't ask Graham any questions as it might delay us getting to the food!

More to follow soon!
Enjoy xxx
Nicole E

Fringe Festival

Well good holy lord, I have been so busy that a) my brains are falling out my ears and b) I haven't had a spare moment to update since... *checks blog*... July 4th... oh dear.

Okay, film-wise... I now have copies of 'Orpheus', 'Bleeding Love', 'No Justice' and 'Tonight's Special in my hot little hands so as soon as I have a spare minute to edit, my showreel will emerge... as well as that, I can take a few stills from the videos and show you some photos up here.

In the end, I didn't get anything out of my audition for 'Your Highness', but Caroline Cassidy from my agency did, so that's some good news at least. Another casting director who might consider us in future! Paul Burke of Whiplash has been working on the movie though so I've been hearing cool things.



And speaking of Whiplash, I've been very, very busy working towards our latest show in the Absolut Dublin Fringe Festival. This year we're staging SPARTACUS: HIGHWAY TO HELL. It's been a lot of work organising and planning and unfortunately fundraising as cut backs have resulted in us having to come up with a substantial amount of money at the last minute, at that's with none of us getting paid a cent to do this and a cast of THIRTY FIVE! But we've been working hard and we're hopefully getting there! I've been working like a demon on the production end, as well as earning myself a part in it with all the rehearsal that entails, as well as day job and couple of harrowing personal issues this week, so you can imagine how knackered I already am! It pays off though, you get to participate in excellent theatre and that's its own reward. This show I'll be playing Flavia a gladiator and lover to Spartacus!

We had a photo shoot a few weeks back for the purpose of getting some promotional shots up and going for the Fringe Festival Program, as well as our own so here's a couple of the ones of me that I don't feel so cringey looking at!



This is just one of the shots we took on the day. Nothing more fun than playing with a whip! I look like a californian dominatrix... although slightly more rubenesque than your typical sylph-like cali girl.




Hmmmm.... fake weaponry and and a boiling, cloudy sky.... portentuous?



So basically, 13th September at 9pm at the Civic Offices Amphitheatre off Fishamble Street, a one-off show you DO NOT want to miss, Spartacus: Highway to Hell. Come and see us and revel in the madness! Afterall, it's FREE!

Enjoy xxx
Nicole E

Updates, updates, updates...

Okay, busy busy bee...

'Kim', directed by Kathy Raftery was shown in The Galway Film Fleadh last week and I have been reliably informed that it was received very well. I'm really glad for Kathy, and it was such a pity I couldn't make it down to the festival myself. I've been stuck up in Dublin rehearsing and working and doing bits and bobs. The trailer for it is HERE if anyone wants to take a peek!



The pic above is a still from 'Kim'. Note my face-o-woe.

In other news, the screening of 'Tonight's Special' in Odessa on the 23rd of June went quite well. People laughed, which is the best bit and I have a copy of it now so it's there, ready and waiting for me to get my act together and make a showreel.

The good thing is, apparently there is some interest in the project, meetings have been had a whatnot. Again, all of it may come to nought, but I'd like to think that with all the effort that everyone put in, both cast and crew, that something will come of it. Got my copy of it on the day as well. I showed it to my family later, who got a good laugh out of it.



This is a pic that appeared in The Herald on 26th of June. On the left beside me is Aoibheann McCaul and behind the two of us are Robbie Sloan the director and Arthur Deeny, the writer. Nice to get one's face in the paper (even if it's tiny and right at the back!!).

Also, the screening of 'Bleeding Love' as part of the IADT showcase on the 30th June, in fact, the showcase in general, went very well. There's some serious talent in that class and they're very driven. We got to watch all the films in the wonderful surroundings of The Lighthouse cinema, which I had never been to before. Beautiful building, must go there again.

I received my copy of 'Bleeding Love' in the post so that's another film that I have my hands on for incorporating into a showreel. All I need now is a copy of 'Kim' and for 'No Justice' to be finished, although, if I could just get ahold of 'Kim', I think that would be MORE than enough, particularly added to what I already have.

Preparation has begun for Whiplash's next show in the Fringe Festival (as well as some prep for stuff coming WAY down the line). We did a photo shoot recently to get some promotional material together for the Fringe Festival website and brochure. I'll post up a couple of pics, not taken by the professional photographer, but those taken by a few of us mucking around on the day with various cameras and phones. I'll also post up a couple of stills from 'Bleeding Love' when I get myself organised.

Annnnnnd finally, the most exciting thing recently was travelling up to Belfast to audition for 'Your Highness'. I haven't heard a peep yet either way from my agent but it was great to get out there and finally get sent for something paid and professional by my agent. As a first outing for them it was quite an adventure, especially for all of us who had to come up from Dublin as there was a security alert and the border was closed... cue massive delays. Oh well, it was worth anyway!!

I think that's all for now!
Enjoy
Nicole E xxx

Short films a-go-go...

Okay...

Well, I haven't been up to much in the last month... well, I have... oh nevermind! Most important thing, I turned 27! Had a fun birthday, shared it with Nora Stillman of TEAM Theatre Company, the lovely lady of Paul Burke, O-Captain-my-Captain of Whiplash and learnt the two of them are now engaged. Joy all around!

All of a sudden, all that work I put in a few months back doing back to back short films is now paying off... First up, the teaser trailer for 'No Justice' which is in post production.



I've also seen some rough footage of the stuff I've shot and listened to my VO for my newsreader bit... with the other parts of the film, it's looking brilliant already with an impressive cast including Don Baker, Honor Heffernan, Karl Shiels (and myself!) to name but a few. No ETA on when it'll be completed, but I await the news with baited breath.



Next up is the comedy pilot I shot, orginally titled 'The Cooks' and but now called 'Tonight's Special'. It's been completed and the private premier is being shown in The Odessa Club on the 23rd of June from 6.30pm. Anyone who wants to come along should contact robbie.icebubble@gmail.com.

Here's the teaser trailer for it, featuring yours truly, Aoibheann McCaul and Declan McGauran.



Also, on the 30th of June, IADT are having the screenings for their film school graduates, at which point I'll get to see 'Bleeding Love' up on the big screen, in the Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield at 6pm. I got to see some of it a couple of weeks ago when I got called back to do a little ADR. Looks very slick!

The short film, 'Kim', that I shot with Kathy Raftery (originally titled 'He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not') made it into The Galway Film Fleadh! Dates, times etc to follow eventually...

The music video I was part of that was directed last year by Michael Donnelly for the band 'Jaded Sun' is going to be shown as part of the Bray Music Video Festival next Saturday. I unfortunately will be working that day so I won't be able to come along to show my support.

And finally, I got a small part in a play that's running from 11th to 15th of August in the Teacher's Club in Dublin. It's called 'The Brothers!' and is based on Adelphoe by Roman playwright Terence. It's being done under the directorship Evelyn McGrory for Scarlet Cloak...

I had an audition over the weekend for a show in October in the Civic theatre. I didn't get it but I was offered a part in the next show they're doing around March/April of next year so that's a nice consolation prize. Also, there's some good news for funding for Whiplash on the horizon but mum's the word at the moment!!!

Enjoy!
Nicole xxx