Props and costumes

Posted on July 7, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Costumes, Design, Penkhull, Penkhull mystery play, Play, Props, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, What's on, White paintLeave a comment

It takes a lot to put a play on. Not just scenery but props and costumes. We couldn’t do it without the efforts of people making things, painting things white, gluing tea pots to boards, finding jugs and tankards, the infinite number of things that just help. So instead of pretending you can have something physical, like a coin to pay someone. Props make acting easier.

Then there is costume. Lots of things get re used, cut down to size, have material let in to make it bigger. Hats are made or sometimes built. Members of the cast bring in their own clothes to enhance the look of the play.

We might only be doing something that lasts 40 minutes but it’s taken a few months of hard work and planning to bring it all together.

Cat stairs

Posted on June 6, 2019 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Cats, Fun, Kittens, Life, Micro poem, Play, Poem, Poetry, Stairs, StaresLeave a comment

Cat, stares

Cat, stairs.

Black and white kittens

With white mittens,

Golden eyes

Glint in the light.

Bouncing about,

Jumping with energy,

Playing tail chase,

Pouncing on legs.

Cats on stares

Cat stares

Golden eyed

Then yawn.

Mad half hour

Posted on May 28, 2019May 28, 2019 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Animals, Black and White cats, Cats, Fun, Humour, Life, Play, Playing, Running and jumpingLeave a comment

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Where do cats get there energy? Running, jumping, chasing, getting his claws stuck in the throw over the settee.

Pouncing on his toys, chasing his sister. Being chased by her. Upstairs and downstairs. Into the bathroom and kitchen. Jumping up on windowsills and the cat tree…

Then a wash…. Back, sides, face. Suddenly calm.

And, relax! _20190528_122339

Photos of Warhorse

Posted on April 7, 2019April 7, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Beauty, Photos, Play, Power, Sculpture, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Theatre, Warhorse2 Comments

I wrote about going to see Warhorse last week, but I did a drawing because we were not allowed to take photos.

Then I found these photos on line. I think they are publicity shots which are allowed to be shared. If they suddenly disappear you will know why.

They just show the beauty and also horror of the play. Such strong sculptural images.

War horse

Posted on April 4, 2019April 4, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged 1st world war, Entertae, History, Horse, Joey, Life, Play, Puppets, Regent Theatre, Theatre, War, War horse4 Comments

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I don’t have any photos but I did a quick sketch from my memory of the horse in Warhorse that I went to see tonight.

The play starts with a puppet foal which is quite small. The story shows him being bought and then brought up on a farm in England in 1914. Suddenly the foal becomes a fully grown horse. He is sent along with thousands or possibly millions of horses across to be part of the cavalry in the First World War.

The story charts what happened to him and also his owner who enlists so he can find him.

The horses in the play are depicted by puppets which contain two puppeteers inside them and one moving the head and neck. In scenes where he is galloping extra puppeteers move the four feet. The horses move in realistic ways, flicking it’s ears, moving it’s tail. Rearing and bucking.

There are sections of horrific violence but through it all there is a strong streak of humanity. There are good and bad on both sides. I found myself enthralled The play seemed to fly by.

I need to mention the other puppets, the goose, swallows flying on the wing, and a first World War tank that were so well used to depict reality. You forgot there were puppeteers, you just saw the things they were meant to represent. If you get a chance to see it, its worth it.

Ow my legs

Posted on March 24, 2019 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Cat, Claws, Fighting, Fun, Life, Play, Playing, ScratchingLeave a comment

Ow my legs! Our female cat loves sharpening her claws on my legs, she sticks her claws in my trousers and then arches her back and pulls down. Sometimes she gets flesh too. I found blood trickling down my leg earlier on today. I love her to pieces but as soon as I realise she’s doing it I have to brush her away.

She rushes round and plays all the time. She fights with our boy cat but only in play, she puts a paw on his head or he puts a paw on hers and then she pushes him away with her back legs. One thing neither if them do is the strong fast kicking movement so neither of them get hurt. And they only nip each other, there is no going for the scruff of their necks. Basically it’s like slow motion wrestling followed by fast chasing.

Silhouette

Posted on March 16, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Digital drawings, Patterns, Photography, Photos, Play, Silhouette2 Comments

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Sometimes it’s nice just to take a close up abstract shot of something. Shapes become more important than detail. Tiny pink petals almost look like butterflies and the straggly money plant, which is cast in shadow, raised its bulbous leaves up to the sky. The thin pale leaves of the spider plant are almost translucent in the light.

Then again you can play about with silhouettes in nature or draw dark doodles to make a pleasing composition.

Always explore, always enjoy, always create if you can.

Cats play

Posted on March 5, 2019March 5, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cats, Fun, Play, Pounce, WaterLeave a comment

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Our female cat loves playing in the bath, chasing drips or drinking water out of the tap. She can be really silly and pounce on anything, including my feet! She doesn’t seem to mind if water drips on her head.

Both my cats love chasing each other. I’ve seen them hiding down behind a shoe then a swift pounce and they are off chasing. They also stand on their back legs and sort of box with each other. Sometimes they start washing each other then one decides it’s all too much and it results in a squabble.

But I would not be without them. I’m sure my blood pressure has improved since we got them.

Can I sharpen my claws

Posted on March 3, 2019 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Cat, Claws, Fun, Humour, Play, Poem, Poetry, Rhyme, Wash, WhiskersLeave a comment

Can I sharpen my claws?

Is it OK to scratch?

You don’t mind my paws

Do you?

Can I sit on the fridge

Watch you take the milk out

Is that cheese you are eating

Can I have just a bit?

Can I lick your face clean?

Are you loving my nose?

I am ready to preen

My whiskers and toes.

Do you think I am fat?

Do you love my long tail?

Can I sit on your hat?

After all I’m all cat. ..

Cat watching

Posted on February 20, 2019 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Animals, Cat, Cute, Feline, Funny, Learning, Life, Lion, Photo, Play, TVLeave a comment

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In 50 years of owning or being owned by cats none of them have ever properly watched TV. Oh Yes they have stared at it in a disinterested way. If they happen to be facing in that direction, but nothing stirred them.

That changed with my female cat which I have had for a couple of years. She started by watching little things like birds and mice, but she really did get interested when we watched cat programmes. Now she seems really into things like lions. I got a few photos a couple of months ago of her standing up and looking at the screen. How does she know, or not, that there is a genetic linkage with big cats? Do they move in a similar way? Was it the noises they were making….. I don’t know. I think it’s cute behaviour and I also think she’s a lot cleverer than her brother.. . You should see her play.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Play