Director, Writer, Actor
DIRECTING
When The Rain Stops Falling
February 2019
In February 2019 I directed a sell-out production of 'When The Rain Stops Falling' by Andrew Bovell. The play follows the lives of four generations of two families as they are forced to understand the shattering, untold impact their terrible deeds have had upon their lives against a backdrop of devastating climate change.
To do this we combined innovative three-level staging with sophisticated set, sound and music design, lighting,
projection and tech that included real rain pouring onto the stage to create an almost cinematic theatre experience for the audience.
The play won a highly-coveted grant of £1000, awarded to one play annually by the English Literature department at the University of Edinburgh. To give this some context, dozens of plays apply - our venue, Bedlam Theatre, puts on around 35 shows a year alone.
The show was highly praised: (click the text to see full reviews)
"Director Lucy Davidson has done a terrific job keeping the stage action fluid...."
"I much enjoyed this production of an intriguing play.... a magnificent endeavour."
I also did an interview before the show and talked about the directing process.
The show gave me a great opportunity to grow as a director, with concept and creativity combined with team and time management skills required providing me with an exciting challenge. The play was tricky, depicting four generations of two families between London and Australia, so it was up to us as cast and crew to understand how best to demonstrate shifts in time, place and character. Rehearsing, we dedicated a large amount of time to group work, with abstract movement sequences tying together important plot points, to make sure the script never seemed to jump unnecessarily. Overall, we all worked together to present a complex and interesting show that packed punch.
Eight
Fringe 2018
Eight
March 2018
After applying for a highly-competitive Fringe slot in the Bedlam Theatre, we took our production of Ella Hickson's 'Eight' to the Fringe festival where we enjoyed a run of sell-out shows and critical and audience acclaim.
To fit the hour-long run time, we adapted the original format of the play and had the audience vote for which four monologues they wanted to see. This was an exciting direction to take the performances as there was a different 'flavour' to the show every day.
We enjoyed critical acclaim: (click the text to see full reviews)
In March, I directed a production of Ella Hickson's 'Eight' at Bedlam Theatre, ten years after its original conception at the samem venue. The play is made up of eight monologues from eight characters, such as an eighteen year old boy in France, a Betjeman-reciting escort, a New York gallery owner and a lonely ex-serviceman. These monologues examine the effect an image, commerce and sex-conscious society have on our generation, and are all funny, sad and deeply moving. Eight is as much a celebration of life as it asks questions that cannot necessarily be answered. The play was a joy to direct, with the nature of the monologues allowing the actors to get 'under the skin' of the characters. It allowed me to grow as a director as I recognised the importance of attention to detail - a mistimed or misinterpreted line can prove damaging to the overall meaning of such delicate monologues.
We enjoyed fantastic press coverage:
"These individual portraits were brought to life with a masterful balance of zeal and compassion."
