"The most exiting piece of theatre you'll ever see" Mark Whiteley 2010

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Be up standing for Hard Graft's latest tour of Knife Edge by Mark Whiteley. We will endeavor to wow you with feats of great pretense. Actors will be dressing up and shall amaze you with their line learning capabilities.

But seriously, buy a ticket and tell your friends - Knife Edge is a new breed, faster, fiercer and will kill you dead.

April 2010
16/17 The Lowry Salford 0843 208 6000
22 The Arc Trowbridge (matinee & evening performance) 0845 299 0476
29 South Holland Centre Spalding 01775 764777
30 Rich Mix Bethnal Green London 020 7613 7498
May
6 The Maltings St. Albans 01727 844222
7 The Civic Hall Uppermill 0161 624 2829
8 Newark Palace 01636 655755
11 Paisley Arts (matinee & evening performance) 0141 887 1010
13 Guildhall Derby (matinee & evening performance) 01332 255800
14 Square Chapel Halifax 01422 349 422
18 Forum 28 Barrow-In Furness 01229 820000
20 CAP Centre Smethwick, West Midlands
27 Lakeside Arts Nottingham 0115 846 777

I will announce the cast next week. We've got some great actors for you though.....

Time the sleeping giant woke.

Sorry I haven't written much, been writing Knife Edge (fifth draft). The original idea was about a man challenging the murderer of his son to a duel to the death. to discover what it must be like to go to the depths of despair and to come up again. Now on draft five, its about more, much more and I urge you to see what I believe is my finest play.

I've got a rash on my stomach, it's stress I think. I've applied for funding for my next production, Knife Edge which starts rehearsing in 4 weeks. I've contacted actors, but as yet I can't contract them until I know exactly how much money I have. It's all very very stressful.

I went down to Nottingham this week to meet up with an actor we want to use for Knife Edge. He's performing in a show at the Nottingham Playhouse called Forever Young. Can I take this opportunity to review the show. it's great. really funny with some excellent clowning and superb musical interludes, I urge you to see it.

I went down to Manchester on Friday to say a quick hello and drop some things off for Hard Graft patron Amanda Holden. Amanda is in her fourth year of judging Britains Got Talent and by the number of paps outside waiting for a glimps of her they're doing rather well. Good luck Amanda.

Knife Edge - our next production had a brilliant reading last week at the Lowry. 25 industry friends (actors, writers, agents, directors and producers) came along to have a listen to what I've been writing for the last 6 months. I was bricking it! Adam Sunderland and the cast had worked their butts off to get it into shape and it was moving, funny, interesting and everything I want it to be with 3 months to go till D -Day. I have a feeling about this play, a deep sense that this is it, this is the one.

I'm also pleased that I've been asked by Reform Theatre Company (great company in Sheffield) to re-think Thick As Thieves. I can report that it's going very well indeed. You'll be able to see this one October and November 2010 in a theatre near you.

knife point for knife edge.

Happy new year.

Hope you had a good Christmas? We're still digging out after the longest cold spell since the last one when the dinosaurs 'got it'.

I am bored with snow, with pushing cars and things being cancelled.

Any way thank you if you came to see the Elves and the Shoemaker we doubled last year's audience and look set to move next year's show to a 200 seater venue to keep up with demand. This week we had an extra performance in Helmsey North Yorkshire. We left Manchester at 7am because of the - 17 temperatures and arrived in Helmsey with more snow falling. there is no business like snow business. 2 shows later and we're driving home in treacherous conditions with a £1,500 insurance excess on the hire van down Sutton Bank.

Bloody bricking it! three actors in a van making life and death decisions based on how quick we'll get home (if you go round you add an hour on the journey). I'm still having flashbacks 4 days on.

Hard Graft Theatre Co. are having a rehearsed reading tomorrow with 4 actors at the Lowry of Knife Edge a new play I've been writing. It's a scary time for me, I've spent weeks alone thinking and writing this story only to have complete strangers have their say on my work.


wish me luck

Mark Whiteley

The show always goes on.

Since I started Hard Graft we have only ever cancelled one show back in 1999 when we were doing Thick as Thieves in a shop in Nottingham. The first night was packed with friends and family and went down a storm. however, someone forgot to tell the population of Nottingham that we were on for three weeks and our second night was supported only by one lady. The Equity rule I think has something to do with the amount of cast out numbering the audience so Dan and I decided to cancel and offer the lady a ticket at a later date. Word soon spread and we played to packed houses for three weeks.

This week Saddleworth has been covered with snow. our sell our houses have been diminished to those willing to walk to the theatre in ski suits. My mobile and the office phone has been rung off the hook with people asking if we've cancelled. I will never cancel a show Clare comes from the other side of Manchester and David drives from Leeds, so I feel if they can get through the blizzards we must go on.

I'll leave you with these words

There's no business like show business like no business I know
You get word before the show has started that your favorite uncle died at dawn
Top of that, your pa and ma have parted, you're broken-hearted, but you go on

There's no people like show people, they smile when they are low
Yesterday they told you you would not go far, that night you open and there you are
Next day on your dressing room they've hung a star, let's go on with the show!!

Merry Christmas and thank you all for your support.

See you next year

mark

Elves and the Shoemaker opening day

Hard Graft Theatre Company's second Christmas Cracker opened this morning in Uppermill Saddleworth with the elves and the shoemaker and what a show. An audience is so important to a show, they are one of the magic ingredients that finishes off they process of making theatre. today to two sell out houses magic was made and an old hall in Saddleworth became a theatre. Children laughed, grown ups groaned and I sat with a grim ear to ear listening to the lines that before today had only lived in my head.

Best thing today was - I play Santa after the show and a little girl came into my grotto and I asked her, " what did I bring you last Christmas?" She said, "I'm polish you didn't see me last year". Now, if you didn't know I've been touring the country with Dan doing a show called Poles Apart and Dan taught me about 6 words of Polish, one being Hello, How are you? You should have seen the smile on her little face when I spoke Polish to her -

Jak sie masz

Oh and I nearly forgot - Holly our helper over heard a kid telling a teacher "It's not the real Santa, I went to Lap land last year and he's tall and thin, not fat."

Elves and the Shoemaker

Well, what a hectic week. We started rehearsing for the Elves and the Shoemaker our second Christmas show with Claire Lever and David Crowley magnificently directed by Judith Barker. I'm doing what I do best - collecting props and building a set.

We have now had to put on two extra performances to cope with demand on Sunday 20th and Christmas Eve. both shows start at 4.00pm -

I thought I learnt last year about how best to run these shows, only thing I didn't consider was the popularity of this year's show. We have sold out many shows and probably doubled last years audience, we can only build and learn from this experience. Costumes are nearly made, lines learnt lights ordered. The Elves and the Shoemaker will be a great Christmas show, see you there.

Update - I watch a run this afternoon and it was lovely. It's going to be the best childrens show we've produced